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Former India tennis player Sania Mirza believes Novak Djokovic remains the best player in men's tennis and hopes the 39-year-old Serbian can add one more Grand Slam title to his record haul.
Djokovic, who holds the record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles, has seen his schedule reduced significantly as he manages his workload and continues to compete primarily at the sport's biggest events. His 2026 season has included a run to the Australian Open final, where he beat Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, while he exited the US Open in the first round and subsequently dropped out of the ATP top 10. Mirza, who has won six major titles three in women's doubles and three in mixed doubles, was speaking to ANI on the sidelines of Niva Bupa's 'Walk for Healthy Cities' event in the national capital. "Novak Djokovic, for me, in numbers, in the way that he plays, the way his body is, the way he is in general, is the best tennis player in men's tennis that there is. He's 39, so age is going to be a factor at some point with recovery, no matter how much of a superhuman you are. And because he's a superhuman, he's still able to be where he is. So, I really do hope he gets that one more Slam. I mean, that's what my heart's saying," Mirza told ANI. Djokovic has remained competitive against the younger generation, including Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, although the two-time 2026 Grand Slam champion Alexander Zverev has also emerged as another player capable of challenging the established order. "I think Alcaraz and Sinner were the people in the last couple of years who had cracked that code, but also those were the only two people until six, eight months ago. Those were the only two people he was losing to. Then [Alexander] Zverev got the monkey off his back and has won two Slams now from having zero," she said. "Do I think that he'll get it? I don't know," she concluded (laughingly). Mirza was present at Niva Bupa's 'Walk for Healthy Cities' event in New Delhi for the flag-off ceremony. The initiative, a relaunch of the earlier 'Walk for Health' programme, encourages people to adopt walking as a simple and accessible way to remain active and healthy. It has now been reimagined as part of the broader Healthy Cities movement, linking individual health and physical activity with a collective commitment towards greener and more sustainable urban communities. Djokovic's 2026 campaign has also seen him reach the Wimbledon semifinals, where he lost to Sinner in straight sets. Zverev, meanwhile, won the French Open and US Open this year to claim the first two Grand Slam titles of his career. (ANI)
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