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Novak Djokovic returns to Melbourne Park looking to roll back the apparently inexorable tide of the "Sincaraz" era and produce ‌an Australian Open triumph that would establish him as the most successful Grand ‌Slam champion of all time.The ‍Serbian clinched his 24th major title at the U.S. Open in late 2023, but Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have ⁠since dominated the Grand Slams with ⁠a brand of fast-paced tennis that has blown their rivals off the court.Djokovic, who will be ‍39 in May, is not impervious to the physical toll two decades on the tour has taken on his body, but only the most foolhardy observer has ever written off one of the mentally toughest players to play the game.To move out of a tie with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam singles titles in the Australian's own back yard, though, he looks likely to need to beat one or both of the "New Two" ‌at the business end of the tournament.Last year, the last survivor of the "Big Three" beat Alcaraz in the quarter-finals only to retire from his semi-final against Alex Zverev with a hamstring tear.He reached the ‍semi-finals of all four majors in ⁠2025, losing to Sinner ‌in Paris and at Wimbledon, as well as Alcaraz in New York."I lost three out of four slams in semis against these guys, so they're just too good, playing on a really high level," he said after his loss at Flushing Meadows. "Best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them. Particularly if it's like the end stages of a Grand Slam." 'ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION'Djokovic pulled out of the warm-up tournament in Adelaide in January but Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley moved quickly to douse any question over the 38-year-old turning up in Melbourne."He'll be here to play 100%," Tiley said at the weekend."Just out of the abundance of caution, he just wanted ​to make sure he's 100% ready. ‌He's won this event 10 times. He wants to go for that record, and this is the place that he has the ⁠best chance of doing it."Indeed, Tiley ‍said, it was highly unlikely to be Djokovic's last Australian Open either, tallying with the player's own ambition to defend his Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028.Djokovic's battered body might have other plans, though, and his chances of going deep will probably rely on him staying healthy into the second week at Melbourne Park.He managed ATP titles in Geneva and Athens last year ​to take his tally to 101 but his best efforts at the longer Masters events were a Miami final and a semi in Shanghai.It will be his 21st appearance in the main draw at the Australian Open, a run that started as a qualifier in 2005 when he was thumped by eventual champion Marat Safin.Melbourne's large community of fans with Serbian heritage will ensure he has plenty of support at a tournament where he has otherwise been more admired than loved.There is no doubting he will go down as one of the tournament's ⁠great champions, however, especially as his 10 triumphs came in the "Big Three" era when Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer were also at their peak. 

Novak Djokovic said Monday he would step away completely from the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), the advocacy group ‌he co-founded, citing concerns over transparency and governance ‌within the organisation. Djokovic, who ‍launched the PTPA alongside Vasek Pospisil in 2020 with the aim of strengthening player representation within the sport, said in a post on X that his latest move ‍was also driven by how his voice and image had been represented. “I am proud of the vision that Vasek and I shared when founding the PTPA, giving players a stronger, independent voice,” Djokovic said. “But it has become clear that my values and approach are no longer aligned with the ‌current direction of the organisation.” The Serbian said he would focus on tennis, his family and contributing to the sport in ways that reflect ‍his principles and integrity. “I wish the players ‌and those involved the best as they move forward, but for me, this chapter is now closed,” he added. The PTPA said in a statement late on Sunday that players had created the body to secure a stronger and more transparent voice in professional tennis and it was open to addressing any issues. “Players created the PTPA to secure a stronger, more transparent voice in professional tennis. The PTPA is governed by players and operates with open communication, collaborative decisions, and regular engagement. We always welcome the opportunity to address issues with any player, and remain available to do so. “As part of its mission, the PTPA initiated litigation against the tours and Grand Slams to advance reforms related to governance, transparency, and player rights. As a result, we have been targets of a coordinated defamation and witness intimidation campaign through the spreading of inaccurate and misleading narratives intended to discredit the PTPA, its staff, and its work. A federal court has already ruled this type of harassment improper and ordered it to cease. “We are working closely with legal counsel, law enforcement and players to evaluate all available options to address the spread of misinformation. These attacks from non-player third parties will not distract us from our mission: pursuing meaningful reforms for all players.” The PTPA in March launched legal action against tennis’s governing bodies, including ‍the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation and International Tennis Integrity Agency, accusing them of anti-competitive practices. Organisers of the four Grand Slam events were added to the case in September in the lawsuit, which also accused the various governing bodies of failing to safeguard ​player welfare.Djokovic, a 24-times Grand Slam champion, said at the time that he did not agree with all elements of the lawsuit, while both the ATP and WTA strongly rejected the allegations. The PTPA said in November that it was close to a deal with Tennis Australia, which is gearing up for the Australian Open that begins in Melbourne on January 18 and kicks off the new Grand Slam season. 

Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic leads a movement session on the track at Lusail International Circuit ahead of the Formula One Qatar Grand Prix.**media[387156]**

Novak Djokovic banished exhaustion and played through an ankle injury scare to make it to the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters Tuesday, beating Spain's Jaume Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.The victory keeps Djokovic on track as the favourite to take a record-extending fifth title in the Chinese financial hub, with other top seeds already withdrawn or knocked out.The 38-year-old almost looked like he might not be able to continue when the match went to a decider, but conjured up the energy to break his decade-younger opponent twice in the third set."Thank you, thank you everyone, I love you!" he shouted in Chinese to the adoring crowd before leaving court almost immediately after play finished.The 24-time Grand Slam champion had a good start, breaking in the fourth game, but shortly afterwards had to take a medical break when his left ankle slid out behind him as he rushed towards the net.He grimaced in pain as he was attended to by an on-court physio, but managed to resume to hold the fifth game.Djokovic received treatment briefly again during a break in play in the second set, and looked increasingly fatigued, crouching over frequently in between rallies.Serbian-flag-waving Chinese fans roared in support, but 41st-ranked Munar ultimately broke in the 12th game after an unforced error from his opponent.An agonised Djokovic dropped to the floor and remained splayed out on court with his chest heaving, as his team rushed over.But he picked himself up and in the third set had an incredible revival, breaking in the first and seventh games and sending the stadium into a frenzy.Djokovic is the highest-ranking player left in the competition.World number one Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament to rest, and second, third and fourth-ranked Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz have all been eliminated.The event in Shanghai has been beset by injuries, as players have battled temperatures of over 30 Celsius and humidity levels peaking at over 80 percent.Sinner was forced to retire on Sunday after being seized with extreme cramps.World number 11 Holger Rune, who has also struggled with the conditions, called on Tuesday for tennis authorities to bring in a heat policy for events like Shanghai.The Dane is through to the last eight after he took out France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3.Zizou Bergs and Gabriel Diallo took it down to the wire in their match, with the Belgian eventually prevailing in a prolonged third set tiebreak 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/8).

Novak Djokovic said he had been "hanging by a rope" before battling through to the Shanghai Masters last 16 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann Sunday.The 38-year-old Serb is looking to win a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai but was given a mighty scare by the 150th-ranked German.Djokovic fired two aces to start, delighting the crowd, but soon ran into trouble as Hanfmann found his range.The German broke in the third game and held serve after that to clinch the first set."I was just outplayed by a better player for a set and a half -- I was hanging by a rope to stay in the match," Djokovic said.Neither player was able to take control of a gruelling second set, until a series of unforced errors from Hanfmann in the 12th game gave Djokovic the opening he needed.Sweating in 28 C humidity at 9:00 pm, the 24-time Grand Slam champion then broke in the fourth game of the third set as his 33-year-old opponent's precision dropped.Cheered on by a stadium full of adoring fans, Djokovic held his resolve to take the third set after Hanfmann hit the ball out."I had to dig in really, really deep to come out from this match as a winner, and I think the energy and support of the crowd really got me out," Djokovic said.The United States' Taylor Fritz was not so lucky, becoming the highest-ranked player to be dumped out so far after he fell to 37th-ranked Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-5.On a hot afternoon, the world number four seemed lethargic and struggled to get into his stride, unnerved after Mpetshi Perricard nearly broke twice in the fifth game.That preempted a streak of brilliance that saw the neon orange-clad Frenchman fire three aces to hold the sixth, then break in the seventh.A closely fought second set came to a head in the 11th game when a double fault by Fritz handed Mpetshi Perricard the advantage, which he swiftly converted with a backhand.Finishing the match off with two aces, the big-serving 22-year-old said he could be proud of himself."It was tough to be honest, tough conditions, very humid," he said."The game at 5-5 (in the second set), it was terrible. I thought I was dying on the court," he chuckled.Mpetshi Perricard will next face 11th-ranked Dane Holger Rune, who beat France's Ugo Humbert, 6-4, 6-4.reb/pst

Novak Djokovic vowed to "continue fighting" for Grand Slam titles after his US Open semi-final exit to Carlos Alcaraz on Friday. Djokovic, whose dream of a record 25th Grand Slam title ended in a straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, pledged to keep playing next year."I'm not giving up on Grand Slams, I'm going to continue fighting," the 38-year-old Serbian legend said after his 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 defeat. "I still want to play a full Grand Slam season next year. They are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport."Djokovic had warned before Friday's semi-final he would need to be in peak physical condition to stand a chance of toppling the 22-year-old Alcaraz. The Spaniard has dominated men's tennis alongside Italian world number one Jannik Sinner in recent seasons, with the duo splitting the last seven Grand Slam tournaments between them.However Djokovic said he had faded after running Alcaraz close in the opening two sets in Friday's semi-final. "I ran out of gas after the second set," he said. "I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going," he added, stating that competing with his much younger rivals in future was only going to get more challenging."I'm happy with my level of tennis, but you know, it's just the physicality of it," Djokovic said. "As I said after the quarter-finals, I'm going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it's needed, but it wasn't enough. That's something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can't control. I can do only as much as I can do. It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it's tough."Djokovic though said he had no problem coming off second best to the duo who have collectively become known as "Sincaraz". "It's never fun losing a tennis match, but at the same time, if I'm to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys," Djokovic said. "I know that they are just better at the moment. You just have to hand it to them and say, 'Well done.'"His next stop on the ATP Tour will be in Athens and Djokovic said it was too soon to say whether he would play at Melbourne Park next year. "At least at this stage of my career, I mean, I'm not thinking that far," he told reporters. "I still want to play Grand Slams, Grand Slam season, full Grand Slam season next year. Let's see whether that's going to happen or not."