On Friday, Jannik Sinner secured his place in his first-ever Grand Slam final and achieved the greatest victory of his career. The world No. 4 beat Novak Djokovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3, without needing a breakpoint. The 33-match winning streak for the Serb came to a stop, and it was his first loss at the Australian Open since 2018.
The reporter asked Djokovic after the loss: “That’s the 3rd time Jannik has beaten you since November, and you were unbeaten against him before that. What has changed in Jannik’s game to take him to the next level?”
Djokovic stated his remarks in the post-match interview and said: “He was always smacking the ball hard from both the forehand and backhand corners. He’s famous for that; he just slaps the ball, you know, plays very quickly, and loves to be aggressive. I think his serve improved a lot. He’s hitting his corners very well, and I think he’s up to speed as well. Serving is bigger now and more precise. Movement overall and mental part. You know, he was always very calm and composed on the court, but I think he struggled maybe to win the big matches, you know, in the big moments.”
After losing the Australian Open, Djokovic claimed that Sinner has an excellent coaching staff. He further said: “But now it’s coming together for him. Of course, for Darren Cahill, who is a very experienced coach and someone who has worked with former No. 1s in the world, obviously having him in his corner is very helpful, you know, from the mental side of things, along with everything else. Yeah, he’s got a great team; he’s on a very good path. He’s going to have a chance in a couple of days to win his first Grand Slam.”
Djokovic on Jannik Sinner beating him 3 times since November
“That’s the 3rd time Jannik has beaten you since November, & you were unbeaten against him before that. What has changed in Jannik's game to take him to the next level?”
Novak: “He was always smacking the ball really… pic.twitter.com/k4YjOAe4Q8
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 26, 2024
Novak Djokovic in 2024
LWLWWWLWLW Currently ranked no.1, Novak played his last match on the 26th of January when he lost to world no.4 Jannik Sinner 6-1 6-2 6-7(6) 6-3 in the semifinal of the Australian Open (draw).
At present, during this year Djokovic has managed to achieve a compiled 7-2 record. Novak Djokovic’s latest run at the Australian Open was the best achievement of his season.
Djokovic has scheduled to play next in Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open). He will start to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 4th of March.
Sinner at the Australian Open, ranking, and results in 2024
WWWLWWWWWW Now ranked no.4 (career-high), Jannik has an overall 6-0 match record in 2024. The Italian is playing at the moment at the Australian Open where he toppled the world no.59 Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-4 7-5 6-3, the world no.161 Jesper De Jong 6-2 6-2 6-2, the world no.29 Sebastian Baez 6-0 6-1 6-3, the world no.15 Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-5 6-3, the world no.5 Andrey Rublev 6-4 7-65 6-3 and the world no.1 Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-2 6-76 6-3.
Sinner won 11 titles in his career: 4 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts and 6 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
Sinner will play next in Marseille (Open 13 Provence). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 5th of February.
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner faced off 7 times. Their current record is 4-3 for Djokovic. The last time they competed against each other, Jannik Sinner won 6-1 6-2 6-7(6) 6-3 in the semifinal in Melbourne (Australian Open) on the 26th of January 2024.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
