Djokovic Sets 2026 Start in Adelaide as Scrutiny Grows Over Bid for No. 25

Analysts question his 38-year-old body's capacity for best-of-five Grand Slam demands despite a recovery-focused, selective approach.

Overview

Organizers list Novak Djokovic to open his season at the Adelaide International before heading to the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Djokovic finished 2025 ranked No. 4 after reaching all four Grand Slam semifinals, winning ATP 250 titles in Geneva and Athens, and compiling a 39–11 record across 13 events.
His 2025 majors featured a hamstring injury and retirement in the Australian Open semifinal and straight‑set losses to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in later Slam semifinals.
Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim say the central question is whether he can still train and recover for two weeks of best‑of‑five tennis, even as they laud his 'part‑time' season as elite.
Coverage highlights Alcaraz and Sinner as his primary obstacles and notes speculation that a Melbourne triumph could spur retirement, though Djokovic has said he intends to keep playing and has even pointed to the 2028 Olympics as a potential endpoint.