John McEnroe Says Carlos Alcaraz Injury Opens The Door For Novak Djokovic At Slams

BusinessSportsMoneyJohn McEnroe Says Carlos Alcaraz Injury Opens The Door For Novak Djokovic At SlamsByAdam Zagoria,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a basketball and tennis insiderFollow AuthorMay 20, 2026, 01:00pm EDTMay 20, 2026, 01:01pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 02: Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates winning match point against Vit Kopriva of Czechia in his Gentlemen's Singles first round match during day two of The Championships Wimbledon 2024 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 02, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)Getty ImagesCarlos Alcaraz is sidelined at least through Wimbledon with a right wrist injury, and that is sad news for tennis.But it does potentially provide an opening for Novak Djokovic at the next two Grand Slams.Without two-time defending champion Alcaraz at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, the soon-to-be 39-year-old Serbian legend won’t have to beat the Spaniard and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner to win a major title.The 24-time major champ and world No. 4 would only have to beat Sinner, whom he did beat in five sets in the Australian Open semifinals in January, along with whatever other top players he faces in his draw.Of course, Sinner is on a historic role right now, having won five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles in 2026 and six straight overall. He has won 29 straight matches after capturing the Italian Open title on Sunday.“You’d have to say that when it looked even bleaker that he’d win another [major], the door’s opened up obviously more for [Djokovic] as well as [Alexander] Zverev, for example, and others that have been struggling,” McEnroe said in response to my question on a TNT Sports Zoom call previewing the French Open.MORE FOR YOUROME, ITALY - MAY 17: Jannik Sinner of Italy poses for a photo with the trophy followi...