Photo by Costas Baltas/Anadolu via Getty Images

Pat Cash points out the main reason he doubts Novak Djokovic can win another Grand Slam

Originally posted on HITC | By Liam McMillen | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 1:53 PM ET

Novak Djokovic is gearing up for his 22nd season on the ATP Tour, and he’s heading to Melbourne Park with his eye on a record 25th Grand Slam title.

Even though he is playing a lighter schedule these days, Djokovic remains a top contender.

The Serbian enters the year ranked number four in the world and remains confident about adding another major to his collection.

And following Greg Rusedski’s suggestion that Djokovic could win the Australian Open, Pat Cash has now offered his own opinion.

Pat Cash questions Novak Djokovic’s ability to beat both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Cash believes the combination of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz might be too much for Djokovic, even with his experience at the top level.

“He needs a couple of them to fall over, that’s the reality. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he does,” the 60-year-old Australian told Tennis365.

“Towards the end of your career, it’s crucial to find that perfect balance of training hard enough to withstand two, even three, five-set matches but not overdoing it.

“Train enough to endure, train hard enough not to get injured. You need to conserve enough energy to not burn yourself out and then not train too much to get injured before playing.

“When you’re younger, you can keep pushing, and even if you get tired, if you play a five-set match, you know you can recover quickly. As you progress in your career, that just fades away.”

According to Cash, the greatest achievement Djokovic can realistically aim for this year is to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams, a feat he accomplished in 2025.

“For Novak to keep going is absolutely phenomenal. He’s always finding solutions to the problems, so it will be very interesting to see how he fares at the Australian Open.

“Has he played enough matches? Has he trained enough? Is he saving his physicality only for the matches? And if so, will it work?

“I don’t see him beating Alcaraz and Sinner in consecutive five-set matches, and that is his problem. He might reach the semifinals again, but then he is likely to have a problem that is already familiar to him.”

The draw for the Australian Open, where Djokovic will learn the identity of his first-round opponent, is scheduled for 15 January.