Linden: How Djoker can end debate over greatest of all time once and for all

Novak Djokovic has a shot at history — but the next generation of tennis superstars aren’t going to make it easy. Can he clinch another title at Melbourne Park?

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 29: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand in the Men’s Singles Final against Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece during day 14 of the 2023 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

No matter how many Australian Open championships he wins, the pressure to capture the next one never ceases for Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian has already won 10 Australian Open titles – a record for a bloke – but new milestones keep popping up ahead of him.

If he can lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup at Rod Laver Arena later this month, Djokovic will break Margaret Court’s longstanding record of 24 grand slam singles’ titles.

That’s always been the gold standard for achievements in tennis so should kill the debate about who is the GOAT.

But it won’t end there for Djokovic.

He needs to win two more finals in Melbourne to eclipse Court’s record of 11 Australian Opens and five more to break Rafael Nadal’s 14 titles at the French Open, the most at a single grand slam.

The more he achieves, the more challenges that are placed in front of him.

A divisive figure over his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid, Djokovic won’t ever win a popularity contest but never seems fazed.

The milestones keep coming for Novak Djokovic

At 36, he remains as fit and motivated as ever but is suddenly facing a much younger rival who might turn out to be his most formidable yet.

The comparisons with Nadal are way too premature but Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is rapidly emerging as tennis’ next superstar.

Australians haven’t seen the best of Alcaraz yet but may do later this month because he’s on a mission.

Still only 20, Alcaraz already has two grand slams in his trophy cabinet – the 2022 US Open and last year’s Wimbledon crown, when he beat Djokovic in a five-set final.

A clay court specialist, it only seems a matter of time before he wins at Roland Garros so the Australian Open is high on his priority list.

As the top two ranked players in the world, Djokovic and Alcaraz are on opposite sides of the draw for this year’s Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on Sunday.

That means they can only play each other in the final, but it will be worth the wait if they both get that far.

Alcaraz missed the first grand slam last year because he was still recovering from the gruelling hardcourt season in the US a few months earlier.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz is a rare talent

In many ways it was a smart move but this time, he is prepared for the gruelling tests that lie ahead, which is as ominous as it sounds because the Australian Open is the most physically demanding event on the professional tennis circuit.

Because it continues to be played at the wrong time of the year, in scorching temperatures three weeks after Christmas, the Australian Open is as much a test of survival as skill.

The best players, who are involved in the end of season ATP and WTA finals, hardly get any time off so face the added dilemma of when to start preparing for Melbourne.

They either have to give up one of the few rest periods on their crammed calendar or take a much-needed break and risk turning up in Australia undercooked.

One of the reasons Djokovic has enjoyed so much success at Rod Laver Arena is that he’s been able to strike the perfect balance year after year but his younger rivals have read the same playbook and are all waiting for him.

The results at the Australian Open rarely follow the official rankings but if they do, Djokovic’s path to the final is already littered with obstacles.

His fourth round opponent could be Stefanos Tsitsipas, the free-hitting Greek, who would be a candidate to win a popularity contest in the Victorian capital.

Djokovic got the better of him in last year’s final but the 25-year-old is waiting for revenge.

Also lining up for a shot is Italy’s underrated Jannik Sinner, now under the guidance of Darren Cahill, the same master coach who helped Andre Agassi win three Australian Open titles at 29, 30 and 31.

His secret with Agassi was to arrive in Australia fitter than everyone else, which meant skipping an extra serving of turkey on Christmas Day and sweating it out on the practice courts in the Nevada desert.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic has his sights set on winning an 11th Australian Open –

Then when he arrived in Australia, Agassi would skip all the lead-up events but keep training hard for the tournament to get underway.

Sinner is 22 and following the same program.

If Djokovic gets past him, he may still have Alcaraz to contend with. The pressure really does never stop.

Originally published as Linden: How Djoker can end debate over greatest of all time once and for all