"They're just too good": Novak Djokovic bows to superiority of Alcaraz and Sinner, likely to alter schedule in 2026

Novak Djokovic admitted that the physical demands of best-of-five matches are proving increasingly difficult after his US Open campaign came to an end in the semifinals as he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz on Friday.

Djokovic was defeated well by Alcaraz 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 as the Spaniard set up a likely tie with a certain Jannik Sinner in the final. As of time of writing, he is facing off against Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second US Open semi-final.

But the Serbian bowed to the pair and said that they are very much superior nowadays and that the format also cripples him in particular the best of five sets in the Grand Slams which have seen him pull up towards the end often and need medical timeouts.

“I lost three out of four Slams in the semis against these guys,” Djokovic said, referencing the younger generation who have dominated the latter stages in 2025. “They’re just too good, playing at a really high level.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion explained that while he felt competitive early on, he eventually faded. “I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that, I was just gassed out and he kept going. That’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik.”

Djokovic, now in his late thirties, acknowledged the challenges that come with age but insisted he still relishes the contest. “Best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them, particularly in the late stages of a Grand Slam. Yeah, I have a few problems with time and with age, but I still enjoy the thrill of competition.”

Despite the disappointment, he highlighted the support he continues to receive. “Today I received amazing support again on the court from the crowd. I’m very thankful for that. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself, and that’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep on going. The love that I’ve been getting around the world has been amazing the last couple of years.”

Looking ahead, Djokovic admitted he may need to adapt his schedule and focus more on shorter-format events. This hints at likely Djokovic playing smaller events where he can attack the big names still over the shorter distance.

He also said in the press conference that he is likely to play Athens which has been switched from Belgrade, his family tournament. It will relocate as the Hellenic Championship and takes place in November. But apart from that he didn't moot any plans as of yet to play in Asia. “We’ll see. I have to address that with my team. That’s definitely a sentiment I have after the Grand Slam season this year. Not to say that I will skip Grand Slams—I still want to play them, a full Grand Slam season next year. Let’s see whether that’s going to happen or not.”

He was quick to stress the importance of the majors, though. “Slams are slams. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have.”

At the same time, he believes best-of-three events may give him more opportunities to challenge his biggest rivals. But also could be perceived as digging at the schedule with many of the tournaments now increasingly being two weeks. Often these events are then snubbed by Djokovic who prefers not to play a mini Grand Slam before a Grand Slam.

“I do fancy my chances a bit more in the best-of-three, one-week tournaments or the Masters events where you have almost two weeks with quite a few days between matches. That could serve me better in the matchups against them.”