John McEnroe issues honest Novak Djokovic verdict as Henman, Wilander, Henin assess Carlos Alcaraz blockbuster

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Tennis legend John McEnroe has weighed in on Novak Djokovic's attempts to add to his Australian Open legacy at the 2025 tournament and questioned whether anyone will be able to eventually surpass his records.

He will face 21-year-old Spanish rival Carlos Alcaraz in a highly-anticipated quarterfinal match at Melbourne Park on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old Serbian is aiming to win an 11th Australian Open championship and a 25th overall major, both records he already holds.

Ahead of the last regular season match, former world number one and Eurosport analyst McEnroe said, "What he (Djokovic) wants is to reach 25 victories, I don't think he cares how he gets it."

If he knew he'd be the winner, of course, he'd choose to play Alcaraz first and take his best shot, and then face Sinner in the final matchup between the two top players.

“Right now, there's no doubt he's been able to outperform the best and has done so on multiple occasions. He's aiming to set records that would be extremely difficult or impossible for others to break. He's gotten incredibly close, actually almost there.”

I don't see any male players breaking his records anytime soon.

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Four of McEnroe's former fellow tennis stars and sports commentators discussed the match between Djokovic and Alcaraz.

Mats Wilander

Djokovic has a reason to win because he typically doesn't lose on this court very often. This is his home turf, his comfort zone. He gets free passes on his serve more often and serves better than Alcaraz. I'm not implying he will win, but those are two key reasons why he could come out on top.

Tim Henman

I believe Alcaraz has the physical advantages. He's 15 years younger than Djokovic, participating in five-set matches at major tournaments. His movement is truly remarkable, and that physical edge could be a factor. Alcaraz has also made significant improvements to his serve, developing more power than he had in the past.

This could be a crucial element. I'm eager to see it unfold. It doesn't seem fitting that this is a quarter-final match in a Grand Slam. The stage has previously hosted Olympic and Slam finals, so it's wonderful for one more performance to take place.

Laura Robson

“I think Alcaraz may have some advantages in terms of playing faster matches and getting more free points from his serve. Unfortunately, Jack Draper retired in the last round so he didn't have to push himself to his limit, leaving him with more time to recover. He'll be well-rested for tomorrow's night match. The courts are playing very quickly in this warm weather, with a forecast of 81 degrees for tomorrow. His forehand is likely to be affected.”

Justine Henin

I'm constantly impressed by Djokovic's ability to excel in big moments. The practice session he did the day before the Olympic final was remarkable, and it was clear that he was preparing to deliver his best performance in the championship match.

At Grand Slams, it's a completely different story - this five-set match can be long and physically demanding, but his ability to be in the right spot at the perfect moment is simply unmatched.

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