It was Novak Djokovic’s first loss in Australia since 2018, as he lost in straight sets to Alex de Minaur in the United Cup after suffering from a wrist injury.
Pursuing his setback at the Australian Open last year, where he won just five games, De Minaur overcame the 24-time Grand Slam champion to give Australia the upper hand in the opening rubber of the quarterfinal match between Australia and Serbia.
In the first set, Djokovic had held effectively at 4-3, but he had treatment for his wrist at the next changeover and again when De Minaur had secured a break at 4-5. The Serb endured the pain of maintaining parity in the second round while having his wrist iced continuously.
After breaking away in the seventh game, De Minaur lost all three of his match points from 40-0 as he allowed his nerves to get the better of him while he attempted to serve it out. But while the home favourite celebrated a great victory, the volume in the arena increased due to a shanked Djokovic backhand long on the subsequent advantage.
De Minaur said after the win: “It’s extremely special. Novak is an unbelievable competitor and what he’s done for the sport is pretty special. It feels surreal; it feels amazing. I’m happy to do it here in Perth and in Australia. The defeat at the Australian Open couldn’t get any worse, I guess. Ultimately, when you go out against Novak, you have to try and enjoy it and back yourself no matter what, fighting until the end. Today was my day and I’m happy to get the win. This one definitely means a lot.”
De Minaur d. Djokovic 6-4 6-4
Wow
Alex only lost one point on his 1st serve against the greatest returner in history
Novak was dealing with a wrist issue, but Alex really showed up
✅Snaps Novak’s 43 match win streak in Australia
✅1st win over #1Don’t wake the demon. 😈🤫 pic.twitter.com/toM5BNPLwW
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 3, 2024
Novak Djokovic in 2024
LWWWLWLWWW Now the world no.1, Novak played his last match on the 3rd of January when he lost to world no.12 Alex De Minaur 6-4 6-4 in the quarter in Australia (draw).
At the moment, during this season the Serbian has a composed 2-1 match record.
Djokovic will play next at the Australian Open (Australian Open). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 14th of January.
