Djokovic speaks frankly about the Sinner - Alcaraz rivalry

Novak Djokovic shared some surprising thoughts ahead of the start of the 2025 US Open.

Before this year's US Open, Djokovic held a press conference on August 22, discussing various topics. The player who has won 24 Grand Slam titles gave his opinion on the competition between Sinner and Alcaraz, two of the top tennis stars today.

“I think their rivalry is fantastic. What they have achieved over the past two years, especially this year, with finals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and several other tournaments, is truly remarkable for tennis. On the global sports stage, these are matchups fans eagerly anticipate. People always enjoy watching such battles. For me, this is definitely the most exciting rivalry right now,” Djokovic commented.

When Djokovic first defeated Federer in the 2007 Rogers Cup final, the Fedal rivalry became famous, after Nadal beat Federer at the 2004 Miami Open and Federer avenged that loss in the following year's final. Djokovic admitted he hopes for a “third player” to join the Sinner – Alcaraz race, similar to how he entered the scene years ago.

“There will definitely be young players capable of challenging them. I hope someone emerges to add more drama. Rune has been there but inconsistent, Fonseca as well; generally, there are players who could become the third factor. I truly relate to that position because I was in a similar situation competing against Federer and Nadal. It would be exciting if someone breaks in, but just watching them compete at such a high level is already amazing,” Djokovic added.

As he prepares for this year's US Open, Djokovic has not played any ATP Tour matches since the Wimbledon semifinal, where he lost to Sinner in three sets. Nevertheless, the Serbian player remains determined to win his 25th Grand Slam title upon returning to Flushing Meadows.

“I have trained a lot over the past three to four weeks. I chose not to compete after Wimbledon to spend more time with my family. Honestly, I feel I have enough rights and comfort to decide which tournaments to enter. I no longer feel the pressure to maintain a packed schedule like before,” Djokovic explained.

The 37-year-old legend also mentioned that the Masters 1000 events held over two weeks in Toronto and Cincinnati have become too long for him. Currently, Djokovic is not focused on rankings or points but aims primarily to win another Grand Slam to reach the historic milestone of 25 titles.