Can Djokovic climb the mountain?

If he wins, No.2-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, who faces Lorenzo Musetti on Friday, could be waiting.

Who better to handle an unprecedented task than the man who has singlehandedly rewritten the sports’ record books over the last five years, at an age when tennis players are supposed to be well into retirement? 

Seven-time major champion John McEnroe, in Paris to call the action for broadcast partner TNT, says that no matter how Djokovic fares this weekend, he’s got an embarrassment of riches to hang his hat on. The 38-year-old juggernaut has won half of his 24 major titles after turning 30, far and away more than any player, male or female. 

McEnroe remembers struggling against then-19-year-old Pete Sampras at the 1990 US Open semifinals. He lost in four sets and never won another major. 

"I actually felt like 31 was 38 at that point,” he told Rolandgarros.com. “If we got to 30 we were impressed with ourselves. Now it seems embarrassing.” 

McEnroe says that what’s most impressive about Djokovic is his ability to evolve as a player at an advanced age.

“He’s almost, in certain ways, better,” he said. “I really admire that because I wasn’t able to do that. I think my best tennis was 25 or 26, and I felt like I was getting worse, which was a horrible feeling.”

McEnroe says he envies the late-career renaissance that Djokovic has cultivated.

“His serve over the course of the last few years is better than it’s ever been,” McEnroe says. “I think he volleys better than he ever did. I think he’s got more touch, and he’s using the drop shot more than I’ve ever seen him – and more effectively.”

Tennis fans have gotten used to the fact that Djokovic never ceases to amaze. But what to make of the fire that continues to burn in his belly, even as his greatest rivals have all eventually had to tap out against Father Time. 

“It’s hard to do, to get better at that many things, and still maintain that hunger he’s got,” said McEnroe. “That’s the part that I really don’t understand, that he is still able to have that type of desire and hunger to do this day in and day out.”

Djokovic has been miraculously good in his late thirties, but it doesn’t change the fact he’s at an inflection point this weekend. He’s about to face the type of phenom that then 31-year-old McEnroe got derailed by in 1990.

“It turned out Sampras was pretty good,” McEnroe quips. 

And so are Sinner and Alcaraz, the slam-gobbling duo that has collectively won each of the last five major titles on offer. 

Djokovic expressed trepidations about being pushed to his physical limitations after his four-set win over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday in Paris, and that has some worried how he’ll turn up against 24-year-old Sinner on Friday. 

“I just hope that I will be able to physically keep up with Sinner in a few days' time. It's a big challenge for me,” he said after the win.

Not your typical Djokovician wordplay, and it has some worried that this weekend’s challenge may be too great, even for a man in possession of Djokovic‘s superpowers.

“I was a bit surprised because he said that things in that context are different than they were five or ten years ago,” Serbian journalist Sasa Ozmo told Rolandgarros.com. “These are things that he usually says at the beginning of the tournament, but not ahead of such a big match like this.

“But it is a huge test for him, it will be the biggest test this tournament so far.”

For three-time champion Djokovic, a record 25th major is once again within reach. And he’s in far better shape than he was in Australia, when he took out Alcaraz in the quarter-final but was forced to pull out of the semi-finals with a hamstring injury. 

If there’s an open door, Djokovic will be there to smash through it, says McEnroe. 

“We’re all wondering about that,” the American icon said, referring to how Djokovic will handle the physical challenges that lie in wait. “If Sinner or Alcaraz bring their A game I think it’s going to be a really tall order to win [the title], but if they don’t that’s where the door is open to me, and he could pull off an upset.” 

Djokovic takes pleasure in the fact that he can still compete with players that are the cream of the crop from two generations behind him. 

“I think the win against Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and to win a quarter-final against Zverev tonight proves to myself and others that I can still play on the highest level, and I just thrive on these occasions,” he said. “This is where I lock in and really give my best.” 

As far as McEnroe is concerned, Djokovic is miraculous, whether he raises the Coupe des Mousquetaires for a fourth time on Sunday, or not. 

“I can’t believe what I’m watching,” he said. “I watched Rafa here last year and you could tell he wasn’t the same guy. At 38 Novak doesn’t look like he’s lost much, he’s like LeBron James, it’s unbelievable.”