Novak Djokovic could win another ‘four or five’ grand slam titles, says former tennis star Patrick McEnroe
CNN
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Former tennis player and U.S. Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe says Novak Djokovic could win “four or five” more grand slams before he retires.
The Serb tied Rafael Nadal’s record for most men’s grand slams after winning his 22nd title at the Australian Open on Sunday and appeared virtually unstoppable for most of the tournament.
“I think he can win four or five more,” McEnroe told CNN’s Amanda Davies. “Looks like he’s as healthy as ever.
He is the favorite with three out of four [grand slams] for the next, I would say probably two years.”
McEnroe says “all is now well again in the men’s tennis world” after Djokovic returned to the world No. 1 position for a record 374 weeks.
Sunday’s win was his 10th Australian Open win, making him only the second man to win more than 10 titles in a single major.
While fans have grown accustomed to watching Djokovic lift trophies, the Serb’s emotional reaction to winning in Melbourne has drawn much comment.
The 35-year-old was sobbing on the court as he celebrated with friends and family, later telling reporters he had experienced an “emotional breakdown”.
It comes after a difficult 12 months for the Serb, which began when Djokovic was unable to defend his title last year after deported from Australia in 2022 due to his Covid-19 vaccination status.
He was then banned from playing in the US Open – again due to his vaccination status – for being at the center of a global news story.
McEnroe says he thinks Djokovic still plays with a “big chip on his shoulder” after all the controversy, making him an even bigger threat on tour.
“I think he played as well as he’s ever played, which is amazing at 35 years old,” added McEnroe, who was a singles semi-finalist at the 1991 Australian Open and a doubles winner at the 1991 Australian Open. French Open in 1989.
“To think this guy just keeps getting better and even when he won the title you saw him point to the head, point to the heart, even then he was still stoic.
“But as soon as he went to his family and his coaches in that players’ box, all the emotions came out.”
McEnroe is not alone in predicting more success for Djokovic.
Australian star Nick Kyrgios said further Twitter that the Serb “will easily get to 28 strokes” after seeing him beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets on Sunday.
Adding more Grand Slam titles to his current roster will further cement Djokovic’s claim as the best player in men’s tennis history.
That debate also includes the likes of Nadal, who is currently tied on Grand Slam victories with Djokovic, and Roger Federer, who retired after winning 20 Grand Slams.
Despite saying it was too early to call Djokovic the greatest of all time, McEnroe said it could be argued that Djokovic has the advantage.
“His dominance over the services has been a little bit bigger than those two legendary players,” he said.
“He also has a better head-to-head against both and better in the other major tournaments, but there is still a lot of tennis to play.”
If he stays fit, Nadal will be a favorite to add to his trophy cabinet at the next grand slam of the season at Roland Garros; a title he has won 14 times.
But Djokovic would then be the man to retire from Wimbledon and, according to McEnroe, would be the favorite again at the US Open if authorities allowed him to play this year.
