In a surprising turn of events, Novak Djokovic expressed his dismay over his performance in the Australian Open semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner, labelling it as one of the worst in his extensive Grand Slam career of over 400 matches. The 24-times Grand Slam champion, however, remains optimistic about his future prospects and issued a warning to pundits contemplating the end of his illustrious career.
Reflecting on the 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 defeat to the 22-year-old Italian, Djokovic admitted, “He outplayed me completely today. I was shocked at my level in a bad way. There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets. I guess this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever played, at least that I remember.”
Despite the disappointing performance, Djokovic maintained high expectations for himself, emphasizing that he didn’t feel at his best throughout the tournament. He acknowledged the semi-final result as a respectable achievement but insisted on holding himself to the highest standards.
Djokovic’s expectations have been shaped by his remarkable success on Melbourne’s blue hardcourts, where he has secured 10 titles and an impressive record of 94 wins out of 103 matches over 19 campaigns. However, Sinner’s victory marked the end of Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open since 2018 and his first loss in 11 Melbourne semi-finals.
Reflecting on his overall performance, Djokovic said, “I definitely have a lot to be very proud of in terms of what I have achieved here. The streak was going to end one day. It was going to happen, and at least I gave everything I possibly can under circumstances where I didn’t play well. I just hope that I’ll get a chance to come back to play at least another time and go through the emotions once more.” The Australian Open final on Sunday will mark the first since 2005 without the involvement of Djokovic, Roger Federer, or Rafael Nadal, signaling a shift in the landscape of men’s tennis. Djokovic addressed questions about his age, stating, “Let’s see what happens in the rest of the season.