Novak Djokovic addressed his semifinal defeat to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open, emphasizing that it does not signal the onset of his decline.
Facing Sinner, Djokovic struggled to find his rhythm, conceding a two-set deficit while battling with uncharacteristic errors. Although he mounted a comeback in the third set, saving a match point, Sinner remained composed and secured victory in the fourth set, advancing to his first Major final.
Despite Djokovic’s reputation as a formidable returner, he notably failed to capitalize on opportunities, registering 54 unforced errors and no breakpoints.
In his post-match remarks, Djokovic dismissed notions of age catching up with him, expressing optimism for future tournaments:
“I still have high hopes for other slams, Olympics, and whatever tournaments that I’ll play. It’s just the beginning of the season. It’s not the feeling that I’m used to.”
While acknowledging the surreal nature of his first loss in Melbourne beyond the quarterfinals, Djokovic underscored his resilient mindset:
“I mean, it kind of has been incredibly satisfying for me, you know, to start off most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win and never lost in semis or finals of Australian Open.”
Despite his disappointment with his performance, Djokovic rejected the notion that this loss marks the “beginning of the end,” reaffirming his commitment to continue competing at the highest level:
“So this time it’s a bit different, but it is what it is. Let’s see. I don’t know… doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s beginning of the end, you know, as some people like to call it. Yeah, let’s see what happens in the rest of the season.”
Despite the setback, Djokovic will retain his No. 1 ranking, while Sinner awaits the winner of Daniil Medvedev or Alexander Zverev in the final.
