By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday January 26, 2024
For the primary time in his profession Novak Djokovic tasted defeat in an Australian Open semifinal, the match the place he had gained all ten of his semifinals (and all ten of his finals) previous to Friday’s evening’s conflict with 22-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner.
It was sure to occur someday, however after the 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 defeat, Djokovic was nonetheless reeling from how soundly he was defeated, and the way – in his personal thoughts – poorly he had performed.
“I used to be, in a approach, shocked with my degree, in a nasty approach,” Djokovic stated. “There was not a lot I used to be doing proper within the first two units. I suppose this is without doubt one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever performed. No less than that I bear in mind.
“Not a really nice feeling enjoying this manner. However on the similar time, you already know, credit score to him for doing the whole lot higher than me, you already know, in each facet of the sport.
Djokovic was out of types within the opening two units, actually only a shell of himself, however he summoned his combating spirit and managed some good tennis within the third set, saving a match level and successful the set in a dramatic tiebreak. Within the fourth, Djokovic was good, however not ok, and he advised reporters in his post-match press convention that his play was inexcusable.
“I attempted, I fought,” the 10-time champion stated. “I managed to type of increase the extent a little bit bit within the third, saved a match level, performed a great tiebreak. However once more, you already know, the fourth set, very unhealthy recreation to lose, 40-Love up at 1-2, and type of towards the wind a little bit bit.
“Yeah, simply total the performance-wise degree of my tennis was, actually not nice.”
Djokovic wasn’t his common steamrolling self this yr in Australia, however most believed that he’d rise to the event and discover his most impressed tennis, like he has accomplished time and time once more in Melbourne.
Surprisingly, it simply by no means occurred.
“To be sincere, you already know, the entire match I have never actually performed near my finest,” he stated. “Match perhaps towards Mannarino (spherical of 16) was nice, however many of the matches I used to be not enjoying as much as par, so to say, the way in which I play right here in Australia usually.
“So in a approach it did shock me, as a result of I believed it will not be that unhealthy within the first two units. However alternatively, I did not really feel actually myself on the court docket throughout this match.”
Djokovic did have reward for Sinner, and admitted that the Italian’s pinpoint serving and ferocious floor recreation performed a major position in his first Australian Open loss since 2018. “He was very dominant on his service video games,” Djokovic stated. “Clearly when you serve properly and when you do not face a breakpoint, it performs with the thoughts of your opponent, that means you’ll be able to put extra strain on his service video games, my service video games on this case, and also you type of swing freely.
“Congrats to him. He simply performed a flawless match.”
“This is without doubt one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever performed!”
Brutal honesty from Novak Djokovic – who units the best commonplace for himself.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/jWOZUmKzcq
— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 26, 2024
Not the Starting of the Finish
Now that his large 33-match successful streak in Melbourne is snapped, Djokovic is left to ponder what will probably be like to begin a season with a low level. So many occasions successful the title in Australia has put wind in his sails and sparked extra milestones to return. This yr, he’ll have to choose up the items and hold combating, as his thirty seventh birthday nears in Might.
“The streak was going to finish,” he stated. “It was going to occur, and no less than I gave the whole lot I presumably can below circumstances the place I did not play properly, and I misplaced to a participant that has an excellent likelihood to win his first slam.”
So far as his targets for 2024, Djokovic remains to be bent on returning to the head on the majors and the Olympics. There are 4 cornerstone occasions to return – Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open – and the 24-time main champion shall be hungry to show that his efficiency in Melbourne just isn’t the start of an inevitable decline.
“I nonetheless have excessive hopes, for different slams, Olympics, and no matter tournaments that I am going to play. It is only the start of the season,” he stated. “It is not the sensation that I am used to – it type of has been extremely satisfying for me to begin off most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win and by no means losung in semis or finals of Australian Open. So this time it’s kind of completely different, however it’s what it’s. Let’s examine. I do not know.
“This match hasn’t been, as I stated, as much as my commonplace or standards or the extent that I’d usually play or anticipate myself to play, however that does not essentially imply that it is the starting of the top, as some folks prefer to name it.”
