"I already knew that Novak wouldn’t be able to win two more sets” - Kafelnikov offered Djokovic no chance in making comeback in Australian Open final

Novak Djokovic could have made history with an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title in the 2026 Australian Open. However, he was pipped at the final hurdle against the world number one Carlos Alcaraz who win the title. Two-time Grand Slam champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov gave a damning verdict on the Serbian, stating that he never believed he would take the victory after losing the second set.

It was a dramatic two weeks in Melbourne, with Djokovic riding his luck at times. After a solid opening three rounds where did not drop a set, he would not win another until the semi-final with withdrawals and retirements going his way.

It was a titanic clash against the two-time reigning Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, who played some incredible tennis throughout an intense five-set battle. Fortunately for the Serbian, he was able to take his chances and match the world number two's level to power through to an 11th Australian Open final and a first major final since the 2023 US Open.

It would set to be a hugely dramatic match against Alcaraz, with Djokovic starting like a rocket. He swept up the first set in ominous fashion but was unable to keep that level throughout the match with Alcaraz growing into it before managing to get the job done for a first title Down Under and the coveted career Grand Slam.

The match was a huge win for tennis, with two generations battling it out on court after a brace of hugely entertaining semi-finals. A lot of people would flock to their TV screens or even Melbourne Park if lucky enough to watch the final, with Kafelnikov admitting the numbers must have been through the roof viewing wise.

“I don’t know what the numbers were for the TV broadcast of the match, but I’m sure it was huge,” he said. “A huge audience of tennis fans was glued to this match. Everyone was watching to see if Novak [Djokovic] could win his 25th Grand Slam, or if [Carlos] Alcaraz could win the Career Grand Slam at 22."

There was so much riding on it, and after the conclusion of the first set it had looked like the 38-year-old had taken a huge step in the right direction towards Grand Slam glory. However, his level dropped and Alcaraz pounced, securing a double break enroute to levelling up the match.

This is where the former world number one started to doubt Djokovic's title credentials. “To be honest, when Carlos Alcaraz won the second set, I already knew that Novak wouldn’t be able to win two more sets,” the Russian commented. “Playing the kind of energy-consuming tennis that they showed in the first two sets.”

Djokovic has been widely lauded for his insane fitness, keeping him at the top of his game despite his age. Despite this, his age will catch up to him no matter how hard he tries to prevent this from happening on court.

He has been picky about which competitions he enters these days, only going for the biggest ones with the title on the forefront of his mind. Most specifically: the major events. One more has passed without success, although the signs are there that he can get the better of the big two while making it into a final.

The win against Sinner was a big step taken with the fact that he had not only defeated arguably the best hardcourt player in the world on that surface, but it was the first time to get a victory over the four-time Grand Slam champion since late 2023. He will need to continue to keep pace with Alcaraz and Sinner if he is to carry on winning at the highest level, with the Qatar Open his next task at hand.