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Yannick Sinner is 23 and Alcaraz is 21. That’s a lot of years to give up when your opponents are as good as they are.
But over the past decade, Grand Slam titles have regularly been won by great players in their thirties, and Edberg has played his part.
The Swede was part of Roger Federer’s coaching team in 2014 and 2015 and is confident Djokovic’s fire is still burning.
“These guys have a lot of people around them and they just love being out there. Especially considering that Novak is chasing many records, I think this is enough motivation,” he said.
“He’s still in great shape so that will at least give him a chance, even if it’s going to be very difficult this time.”
Speaking to Edberg, it’s clear that the best players now feel no psychological barriers to winning in their thirties. While the length of the season remains tough, he says smarter planning helps.
“When I look back on my own career, I think playing in Davis Cup burned me out in a lot of ways,” he explained.
“We went to six Davis Cup finals in a row, which meant playing until December and then starting the season again.
“When I look back, it really cut my career short. Physically, I could play for another five years.
“When I was playing, the chance of winning a Slam at 30 or 31 was very, very low. Now that has changed.”
Edberg retired in December 1996 at the age of 30 after one more Davis Cup final appearance.
