Novak Djokovic told he 'doesn't count' in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner message

Novak Djokovic has been told he no longer has the ability to consistently challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Serb is still searching for the elusive 25th Grand Slam victory, having most recently reached the semi-final of the US Open.

It was a familiar story for Djokovic, as he was whitewashed by eventual champion Alcaraz in the first to three matches. The result marked the third consecutive slam he'd lost in straight sets to one of Alcaraz and Sinner, having been beaten at both Wimbledon and the French Open by the Italian.

At 38 years old, it's no surprise that Djokovic doesn't have the capabilities to properly compete in the long matches with the two best players in the world. However, given it's now over two years since anyone but Alcaraz and Sinner won a Grand Slam title, there has been some concern in the wider tennis world that the men's game is becoming an uncontenstable duopoly.

There's a desire to see a viable third competitor rise out of the rubble and challenge the indomitable pair, but according to one current professional, that isn't going to be Djokovic. Speaking to Olympics.com, Frances Tiafoe said: "Novak doesn't count [as a competitor]... I love him, but [he] doesn't count... He's a GOAT, he's the best player of all time. He's not with those guys."

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The American didn't rule out the possibility of somebody competing against Alcaraz and Sinner, a little bit like Djokovic did to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal when he burst onto the scene. Tiafoe added: "Who is that other guy or two to be there and maybe beat these guys? That would be the quote-unquote Novak and [Andy] Murray - before Novak went and did what he did. Who are those guys? And there's a bunch of guys who can be that guy, right? So that's really motivating me. It's like, 'See big picture.' That's motivating."

Djokovic hasn't played since the US Open and hasn't featured in a non-slam event since the Geneva Open back in May - a tournament that proved his 100th victory on the ATP Tour. That's set to change next month when Djokovic returns to the court for the Shanghai Masters.

The Olympic champion recently opened up about his attempts to better manage his schedule, saying in New York: "I'm going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and rhythm for as many hours as it's needed, but it wasn't enough.

"That's something, unfortunately, at this point in my career, I can't control. I can do only as much as I can do. It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of [Jannik] Sinner or Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but in best-of-five, it's tough."