Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, expressed his astonishment at his subpar level of play during his Australian Open semifinal defeat to Jannik Sinner. The Serbian tennis star, aiming for his record 11th Grand Slam singles title at Melbourne Park, suffered a surprising loss in four sets, 6-1 6-2 6-7(6) 6-3.
Djokovic, known for his dominance in previous Australian Opens, particularly struggled against Sinner. The Italian fourth seed secured victory after initially facing a match point in the third set tie-break. Djokovic’s performance was marred by 54 unforced errors, a rarity in his usually precise gameplay.
The Serbian, visibly frustrated during the match, admitted in the post-match press conference, “I was shocked with my level in a bad way… This is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever played; at least that I remember. [It’s] not a very pleasant feeling playing this way.”
Despite reaching the semifinals, Djokovic acknowledged his overall tournament performance had not been up to his usual standard. He remarked, “The whole tournament I haven’t really played close to my best… I didn’t feel really myself on the court during this tournament.”
Djokovic dismissed concerns about his age, asserting his ongoing aspirations for future tournaments. “It has been incredibly satisfying for me, you know, to start off most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win… This time it’s a bit different, but it is what it is. This tournament hasn’t been up to my standard that I would normally play or expect myself to play, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the beginning of the end… Let’s see what happens in the rest of the season.”
Djokovic’s loss sets the stage for the younger generation of players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alex de Minaur. Despite this setback, Djokovic remains determined and sets his sights on future tournaments, including the French Open in May.
Be First to Comment