Tennis legend Todd Woodbridge believes Novak Djokovic will be “a bit of an underdog” at next year’s Australian Open as he enters “a very different and unusual phase” of his career.

The 16-time men’s doubles Grand Slam champion has also compared the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to the rivalries contested by Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Djokovic did not add to his record tally of 24 Grand Slam titles this year, which made 2024 his first ‘majorless’ season since 2017

The Serbian was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open, a quarter-finalist at Roland Garros (where he withdrew through injury), a runner-up at Wimbledon, before he fell in the third round at the US Open.

The 37-year-old secured his only title of the season to date at the 2024 Paris Olympics in August, where he produced an outstanding display to down Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match.

Djokovic has won a record 10 Australian Open titles, with his most recent triumph at the Melbourne major coming last year. The former world No 1 also won the French Open and the US Open during a stellar 2023 campaign.

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Woodbridge explained why he does not think Djokovic is a favourite to win the Australian Open and argued the Serbian may relish this “underdog” status.

“He’s coming into a very different and unusual phase of his career because the way he’s chosen to not play as many tournaments, his focus is on the majors,” the Australian told the The AO Show podcast.

“He actually comes in as a bit of an underdog in all of these players we’re talking about [as title contenders] because of that, and he didn’t win a major this year.

“I think it’s probably going to bring him freedom in the way that he approaches it, and he’ll enjoy that.”

Sinner and Alcaraz split the four majors between them in 2024, with the Italian winning the Australian Open and the US Open, and the Spaniard completing the French Open-Wimbledon double.

Woodbridge declared that matches between Sinner and Alcaraz leave him in disbelief as they feature points that seem impossible.

“They have had some ridiculous matches. A few years back, when Alcaraz won the US Open and they played a five-setter, that was just extraordinary tennis,” the former doubles world No 1 added.

“Sometimes as a player, I sit and watch tennis and I’ll go, ‘No, no, no. You can’t do that. Sorry, that’s not possible’. And they do it again. Then another point and they do it again.

“That [quality of tennis Sinner and Alcaraz play is] the Novak-and-Roger and the Rafa-and-Novaks and that mix of what those guys played in finals. That’s what they do in their matches, which is extraordinary.”

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