Djokovic targets Australian Open return after ‘worst Grand Slam match’
2024.01.26
Ten-time winner Djokovic, who has never lost a semifinal at Rod Laver Arena, expressed disbelief at the caliber of his performance against fourth-seeded Sinner.
The unexpected loss to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Friday, according to Novak Djokovic, does not signal the “beginning of the end.”
The world number one’s 33-match winning streak came to an end at Melbourne Park as he lost 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), and 6-3 while making 54 unforced mistakes and failing to generate a single break point.
Ten-time winner Djokovic, who has never lost a semifinal at Rod Laver Arena, expressed disbelief at the caliber of his performance against fourth-seeded Sinner.
The 36-year-old claimed that “he’s in the finals deservedly.” “He really outperformed me today.
To be honest, I was a little taken aback at my own level. In the first two sets, I wasn’t performing too well at all.
“I suppose this is among my least enjoyable Grand Slam encounters to date. That is, at least, what I can recall.
Djokovic’s attempt to win a record-tying 11th Australian Open title and a 25th Grand Slam was dashed by defeat; this would have moved him one spot ahead of Margaret Court on the all-time list.
With a score of 24, the Serbian is already leading the men’s singles field by two over injured Rafael Nadal and four over retiring Roger Federer.
He claimed that despite not losing since 2018, his performance at the Australian Open this year had been below average.
“It’s not necessarily the end of the story, even though this tournament hasn’t lived up to my expectations or standards or the level that I would normally play or expect myself to play,” he added.
Though Sinner is a member of a younger generation of players eager for success, Djokovic is 14 years older than Sinner and has no plans to give up tennis just yet.
He remarked, “I still have high hopes for other Slams, the Olympics, and whatever tournaments that I’ll play.” “The season has only just begun.
He said, “This has been a very special city, best Grand Slam of my career, by far.”
“All I want is to have the opportunity to return and play at least once more and experience the feelings again.”
@charith
