By: Justin Gincauskas
For the first time since 2018, Novak Djokovic has lost at the Australian Open. In a semifinal matchup against Jannik Sinner, it was the 22-year-old Italian who got the better of Djokovic, defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3, to reach his first Australian Open final.
Djokovic’s Comments After The Loss
“Look, I was, in a way, shocked with my level, you know, in a bad way,” Djokovic said after the match. “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.”
“In a way [my level against Sinner] did surprise me, because I thought, it won’t be that bad in the first two sets. But on the other hand, I didn’t feel really myself on the court during this tournament. One can say semifinals is a great result, but I always expect the highest of myself, and it wasn’t meant to be today.”
Before losing to Sinner, Djokovic’s last loss at the Australian Open came in 2018 at the hands of Chung Hyeon in the fourth round. Djokovic had won 33 consecutive matches in Australia since. The defeat to Sinner is Djokovic’s first loss in the Australian Open semifinals, as he was previously 10-0 in this position. He must now wait until the French Open for the next opportunity to capture his 25th Grand Slam title.
With the victory, Jannik Sinner will play in his first career Grand Slam final at the Australian Open. He will take on 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the final, as Medvedev recovered from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev. Sinner and Medvedev have played each other nine times on the ATP Tour, with Medvedev leading the head-to-head 6-3. However, Sinner has defeated Medvedev in each of their last three meetings.
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