"Unless you have real belief that you can beat Novak Djokovic, you’ve got no chance at all" - John McEnroe hails Serb as 'technically best player'
John McEnroe has hailed Novak Djokovic for his immense mental belief, which makes it near impossible for his opponents to beat him unless they play at their very best for large swathes.
Djokovic, 36, is widely regarded as one of the sport's best players, having broken a slew of records during his illustrious career. The 24-time Grand Slam singles champion is pursuing a record-extending 11th title at the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday (January 14).
He's coming off a fabulous 2023 season - winning three of four Grand Slam finals - and a record seventh ATP Finals triumph, finishing as the year-end No. 1 for a record-extending eighth time.
Having won the last four Australian Open titles he has competed for, the World No. 1 is once again the man to beat at Melbourne Park next fortnight. Proclaiming the Serb as the technically best player he has seen from multiple aspects, former World No. 1 McEnroe told Eurosport:
"Technically he’s the best player I’ve seen: mentally, physically. Unless you have the real belief in your head that you can beat him, you’ve got no chance at all."
The American continued that Djokovic has defied the law of averages at the year's first Grand Slam, going undefeated in 10 finals:
“A few players can rise to the occasion such as Alcaraz at Wimbledon, but few have. He’s won 10 Australian Opens and the law of averages would say someone at some point will win another one. But we said the same about Rafa (Nadal) at the French, so who knows what will happen.”
Djokovic opens his campaign Down Under against qualifier Dino Prizmic on Sunday. The Serb hasn't lost in the first round in Melbourne since 2006.
Novak Djokovic chasing more history at Australian Open
Novak Djokovic will look for more history at the upcoming Australian Open, where his No. 1 ranking will be up for grabs.
The Serb enjoys a 2200-point lead over No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, but with Djokovic defending 2000 points and Alcaraz nine, he effectively starts the tournament with a 200-point lead.
Having not lost at the Australian Open since 2018 (Hyeon Chung, fourth round), Djokovic is looking to become the first player in tennis history to win 25 Grand Slam singles titles. He's level with Margaret Court currently with 24 Majors each.
Moreover, by winning his first-round match, Djokovic will become the first player to win 90 matches at three Grand Slams. He has won 92 matches apiece at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and 88 at the US Open.