Novak Djokovic has been warned he is ‘not at the level’ of two Wimbledon rivals as he chases a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam.
Djokovic, 38, is hoping to win his eighth Wimbledon title and the 25th major of his remarkable career. He faces Alexandre Muller in his first-round clash on Tuesday.
Should he triumph at the All England Club, Djokovic would surpass Margaret Court as the player with the most Grand Slam titles in history.
The Serbian legend is feeling optimistic about his chances but faces competition from a number of stars, not least current world number one Jannik Sinner and defending Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz, 22, has beaten Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals and has picked up five Grand Slams since 2022.
Sinner, meanwhile, has lifted three major titles since 2024 and would have had a fourth had Alcaraz not produced a stunning comeback in the French Open final earlier this month.
Alcaraz and Sinner have been tipped to dominate the sport over the next decade, just as Djokovic did for the best part of 20 years alongside fellow greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
It it widely accepted that Wimbledon offers Djokovic his last great opportunity to win a 25th slam but Feliciano Lopez says he is ‘not at the level’ of Alcaraz or Sinner.
‘He’s not at the levels of Carlos and Jannik, especially in the last 18 months, because the numbers speak for themselves,’ the three-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist told Sky Sports.
‘Although the gap is still big, I see the grass as the only place for him to get to this level that they play because the grass is very different.
‘Djokovic proved that he can still compete at this level but he will have a better chance on grass.’
Alcaraz began his quest for a third successive Wimbledon title with a cagey five-set win over Fabio Fognini.
Djokovic lost to Karen Khachanov in a Wimbledon warm-up exhibition game in his only grass-court match before the Grand Slam starts in SW19.
He has been practicing with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and women’s US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, among others, since arriving at Wimbledon.
Djokovic and Alcaraz were given the chance to hit on Centre Court on Thursday, four days before the start of the tournament.
‘Of course, I was practising with Carlos, and obviously the tradition changed in the last few years that you get to hit a few balls on Centre Court,’ he said.
‘I thought that tradition will never change, but I guess everything is moving forward. Obviously it’s a huge privilege to be on virgin fresh grass before the tournament starts.
‘It did feel a bit strange to be honest, and I almost felt a bit bad for ruining the grass and sliding on it.
‘It’s one of the most special tennis courts we have in the world. The Wimbledon Centre Court is like a cradle, it’s something sacred for us.
‘It just inspires you to come out and of course, enjoy the moment and everything you experience and give your best. I cannot find a more motivating tournament in my life than Wimbledon so that’s exciting.’
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