Nadal: 'Djokovic is not the greatest player in the world'

At 38 years old, Djokovic continues to play at an elite standard, yet his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam is still tough, facing youthful and eager competitors such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic recently impressed everyone with an outstanding run at the 2026 Australian Open, where he brilliantly defeated Jannik Sinner in the semifinals and made it difficult for Carlos Alcaraz in the final match. Although he has yet to secure his historic 25th Grand Slam, Djokovic has proven that he is far from finished and still capable of competing with the new faces of tennis today.

Overall, Djokovic is naturally considered the "GOAT" of tennis, having collected all the most prestigious titles: 4 Grand Slams, Olympic Gold, ATP Finals, Davis Cup, and more. Currently, Nole ranks just behind Alcaraz and Sinner. However, Rafael Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal, holds a different view.

"Zverev is a strong player, and in my opinion, Sascha is currently better than Djokovic, but he still lacks something... If Zverev wins the semifinal(against Alcaraz), he will likely claim the championship. This would positively change Sascha as winning would relieve the pressure of needing a Grand Slam and boost his confidence,"said Toni Nadal.

In the 2026 Australian Open semifinal against Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev had a chance to reach the final and come close to his first Grand Slam title while Carlitos suffered from cramps and was nearly incapacitated for about an hour and a half. He was only one set away from victory, but Zverev... remained Zverev: always fading and lacking initiative at the crucial moment.

Alcaraz then completed an incredible comeback to reach the final and went on to overturn Djokovic to win his first Australian Open title, becoming the youngest player ever to complete a Career Grand Slam.