Andy Roddick thinks the main question Novak Djokovic will need to answer in 2026 will be whether his body is strong enough to meet the demands of playing best-of-five-set matches over two weeks at a Grand Slam.
For the most part, the 38-year-old was very consistent in Grand Slam matches this year and reached the semifinal in all four Majors.
In Australia, Djokovic managed to overcome the Carlos Alcaraz challenge, but sustained a hamstring injury in the process and retired against Alexander Zverev in the semifinal. In the next three Grand Slams, the former world No. 1 was twice beaten by Jannik Sinner and once by Alcaraz. The Serb didn't win a single set in his last three Slam defeats.
After being bounced by Alcaraz in the US Open semifinal, Djokovic admitted that it was becoming more difficult for him to keep up physically with the Spaniard and Sinner in best-of-five-set matches. However, he confirmed in the same presser that he would be back in 2026 with the same goal.
Roddick's question for Djokovic
When it comes to Djokovic's 2026 Grand Slam chances, Roddick suggests that everything starts and finishes with the 38-year-old's body as he will need to stay healthy to have a legitimate shot at winning seven matches in the best of five format.
“The question is… And he was questioning this after the US Open. I don’t know that he can train the way he used to. I would suspect that you can’t train that psychotically, and I mean that in a good way, at 38 years old," Roddick said on his podcast.
“And if you can’t do that, can you get your body to hold up over the course of two weeks at a major, over best-of-five? The answer this year was no. To his own admission.
“It was like I don’t know if my body can do it, and when I get to the semis am I going to beat these guys if my body is damaged goods by the time I get there? That is the whole thing for this conversation.”
Djokovic will turn 39 during next year's French Open.
