“If he reaches the semis fresh…”: French legend on what Djokovic needs to win another Slam

As the 2026 ATP season begins, Novak Djokovic enters his 24th year on the professional Tour with history still within his grasp. The Serbian icon is eyeing a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and a 25th Grand Slam victory. However, Guy Forget, the former World No. 4, warns that the path to glory is far narrower than in previous dominance eras. The Frenchman argues that Djokovic’s preparation must fundamentally evolve to accommodate his aging body.

According to Forget in an interview with Ubitennis, the days of brutal, high-volume training blocks are over for the 38-year-old superstar. The ex-Roland Garros tournament director—a venue where Djokovic triumphed three times—notes that the Serbian can "no longer prepare as he did in the past" due to the sheer physical toll. The focus has shifted entirely to managing the "dose of training" and prioritizing recovery to prevent his body from breaking down before major events.

Despite these physical concessions, Forget insists that Djokovic’s competitive fire remains undiminished. The former French Davis Cup captain believes that if Djokovic commits to the trip to Melbourne, it is solely because he believes he can lift the trophy. Forget emphasizes that a champion of Djokovic’s stature does not enter a Grand Slam "to hope for a quarter-final or a semi-final," but rather to win it all.

The primary challenge for Djokovic in 2026 is avoiding the accumulation of "minor injuries that begin to arise" throughout a grueling two-week event. His team must prioritize recovery over intensity to ensure his body does not give out before the business end of the tournament. While the rigorous training blocks of the past are no longer feasible, his tactical acumen allows him to compensate. However, the roadmap to a 25th major requires a confluence of favorable factors.

Success in Melbourne is no longer just about skill; it is about resource management and fortune. He needs a manageable draw that allows him to conserve energy for the championship rounds against top-tier opponents. "He must be convinced that he can still, with a bit of success, a good draw... if he arrives in the semi-finals with not too much fatigue in his legs, he must tell himself that he is capable, on one match, of beating perhaps Carlos Alcaraz," Forget said. "In the facts, it will be difficult, certainly, but in his champion's spirit, with his ego, I think he is convinced of it."

The 2026 season marks the definitive final chapter for the few remaining contemporaries of Novak Djokovic still active on the ATP Tour. Stan Wawrinka, 40, and Gael Monfils, 39, have both confirmed their retirements for this year, finally succumbing to the inexorable passage of time that has brought recurring injuries and declining results.

In stark contrast, Djokovic reportedly maintains ambitions to compete at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in two and a half years—a tournament he would contest at the potential age of 41. The Serbian turns 39 this coming May. With the imminent departures of Monfils and Wawrinka, Djokovic effectively becomes the elder statesman of the circuit; one would need to look outside the world's top 700 to find a player of equal or greater age.

The cohort of elite veterans is thinning rapidly. Only a handful of players aged over 35 remain inside the top 100 alongside the former World No. 1: Adrian Mannarino (No. 69), Marin Cilic (No. 75), Jan-Lennard Struff (No. 84), and Roberto Bautista Agut (No. 92).

The inability to compete at the apex of the sport is eventually inevitable, even for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, for whom a new major title has remained elusive over the last two seasons. "It is only through failures — the failures, what are they? Defeats, or even worse, big injuries — that he will face the evidence that at a given moment, 'I cannot continue to do this intensity.' My age means that now I am starting to lose matches, or be in difficulty against players against whom I passed easily before. And there, it will perhaps be time for him to plan a retirement."

However, observers caution against writing the obituary of his career too early. "Of course, that is not the case today," the former French Davis Cup captain clarified regarding Djokovic's current status. "But there you have it: another Grand Slam, another season… We will scrutinize him with much interest because, when he moves well on the court, as we saw at the end of the season, he is still capable of playing at a very, very high level."