At 38, Novak Djokovic is among the oldest players left on the ATP Tour. However, the everlastingSerb is still among the world's finest players, standing in the top-5 and hoping for another strong run at Majors in 2026.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov, former world no. 1 and two-time Major champion, shared a candid assessment of Djokovic's future prospects and his ability to chase the 25th Major title.
While the Serb remains motivated to chase notable titles in the year when he turns 39, the Russian believes that milestone may be out of of reach - for a simple reason!
According to Yevgeny, Novak no longer possesses the same physical endurance that defined his dominance for nearly two decades, which is normal at his age.
Kafelnikov pointed out that the demanding best-of-five format at Majors now plays in favor of younger players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Their energy and resilience can prove decisive in the later stages of big tournaments.
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That was the case in 2025, with the world's best players earning threevictories over Djokovic in the semi-final at Majors. Novak did beat Carlos at the Australian Open. However, an injury prevented him from chasing a place in the final against Jannik.
The Serb and the Italian met at Roland Garros, and the younger player prevailed in three tight sets after taking the pivotal points. Sinner bested Djokovic at Wimbledon, with the Serb experiencing an injury in the quarter-final and lacking his usual pace.
Most recently, Alcaraz defeated the veteran in the US Open semi-final. Novak fought well in the opening two sets before losing steam in the third, having nothing left in his tank.
However, Djokovic presented remarkable consistency for his age, reaching all four Major semi-finals alongside Sinner. However, Kafelnikov feels the gap in physical sharpness is becoming increasingly visible.
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The younger generationcontinues to raise the bar, and Yevgeny believes it will take something extraordinary for Novak to reclaim his place atop the sport's biggest stages.
The next season will give us more answers, but things are not getting any easier for the 24-time Major winner, who understands that very well.
"Sadly, Novak is physically spent, and he knows that. When you compete at Majors, it's very hard to endure physical battles in the best-of-five encounters against the young guys at the peak of their power," Yevgeny Kafelnikov said.
