Novak Djokovic’s fairytale campaign at the 2026 Australian Open came to a stuttering end in the finals. The Serbian lost to Carlos Alcaraz, 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7. After the title showdown, many fans wondered if this was Djokovic’s last Australian Open. Speaking in the post-match press conference, the 38-year-old restated his plans to play ‘until the 2028 Olympics’, suggesting we might see him in action in Melbourne again.
In the final, Alcaraz dropped the first set in 33 minutes as Djokovic battled hard for his 25th Grand Slam title. But the Spaniard was resilient and bounced back in the second set. Djokovic tried to prove a point, but soon ran out of energy as Alcaraz raced to victory.
‘I’m not sure what is next’: Novak Djokovic
“God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six or 12 months, so it has been a great ride – I love you guys. That’s why I left it open. I really don’t know. You’ve followed me for a long time and I don’t pretend or fake things. I told you for the last year or year and a half that I’m not sure how much and what is next. I said I’d like to play until the 2028 Olympics, but that might mean playing one tournament a year, maybe ten, fifteen, two, or seven—I honestly don’t know”, he said.
“I don’t want to make decisions about my schedule and future so far in advance. Right now, my only wish is to be with my family and then I’ll see what’s next.”
Djokovic clinched his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2023, which drew him level with Margaret Court at the top of the all-time list. Before the 2026 AUS Open, his last final was in 2024 at Wimbledon, where he lost to Alcaraz.
In 2025, he reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slams, but failed to reach the title showdown of any as Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner shared spoils.
But in Melbourne, Djokovic showed that he can still fight against younger players like Sinner and Alcaraz. In the semifinals, he rolled back the years to defeat Sinner, 14 years his junior, in a five-set thriller.
