![\"Novak](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768672286_480_9c28988e5a9e6d31d86eb1603acd9e8e.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nNovak Djokovic won’t let his pursuit of a record 25th grand slam title prove a burden in Melbourne as he tries to break Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s recent stranglehold over the tennis majors.<\/p>\n
The 10-time Australian Open champion’s bid to eclipse Margaret Court hasn’t progressed since his 2023 US Open triumph drew him level on 24 slams.<\/p>\n
“There has been a lot of talk about the 25th, but I try to focus myself on what I have achieved, not what I’m possibly achieving,” 38-year-old Djokovic said.<\/p>\n
“I mean, I hope it comes to that, but 24 is also not a bad number. I have to appreciate that and remind myself of the amazing career I have had and also release some of that unnecessary pressure.<\/p>\n
“Obviously there is always pressure and expectations, but I don’t think it’s needed for me to really go far in terms of make-it-or-break-it type of thing [or] it’s now-or-never type of mentality. Neither does that allow me to excel and perform my best.<\/p>\n
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Djokovic has not won a major since 2023. (Reuters: Tingshu Wang)<\/p>\n
“I’m just grateful to have another shot, particularly here, a place where I won 10 grand slam titles and been consistently playing well and reaching the final stages.<\/p>\n
“Last couple of years also semi-finals, ’24 semi-finals, ’25 \u2014 had a great win against Carlos in quarters last year.”<\/p>\n
Ahead of opening his campaign against Spaniard Pedro Martinez, world No.4 Djokovic was buoyant.<\/p>\n
“Look, I know that when I’m healthy, when I’m able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a given day, I feel like I can beat anybody,” he said.<\/p>\n
“If I don’t have that self-belief and confidence in myself, I wouldn’t be here definitely sitting here and talking to you guys or competing.<\/p>\n
“I still have the drive, and of course I understand that Sinner and Alcaraz are playing on a different level right now from everybody else. That’s a fact, but that doesn’t mean that nobody else has a chance.<\/p>\n
“So I like my chances always, in any tournament, particularly here.”<\/p>\n
Sinner, 24, and Alcaraz, 22, have won the past eight slams between them.<\/p>\n
![\"Jannik](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2aaccba23774ef5420ee4801d28f862c.jpeg\")
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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have heralded the dawn of a new era of tennis. (Getty Images: Clive Brunskill)<\/p>\n
“I’m missing a little bit of juice in my legs, to be honest, to be able to compete with these guys at the later stages of a grand slam,” he conceded.<\/p>\n
“But I’m definitely giving my best as I have in ’25, and I think I have done very well and challenged them on their route to the title. I lost three out of four slams against either Sinner or Alcaraz.”<\/p>\n
Djokovic showed his funny side when he had a cheeky dig at the world’s top two players.<\/p>\n
“We don’t need to praise them too much. They have been praised enough,” he said.<\/p>\n