Novak Djokovic ‘shocked’ by end of Australian Open streak: ‘One of my worst matches’

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Novak Djokovic was taken aback when he faced defeat against Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals. According to him, the match was one of his worst performances in a grand slam match. Djokovic, who holds the number one world ranking, has not lost in Melbourne for the past six years.

Djokovic only managed to win three games in the opening sets of the competition. Additionally, he was not able to generate any opportunities to break Sinner's serve throughout the match. Sinner delivered an outstanding performance and triumphed with a score of 6-1 6-2 6-7 6-3.

Novak Djokovic, aged 36, had been unbeaten in the Australian Open matches since 2018 and had emerged victorious in all of the 10 semi-final encounters he had played at Rod Laver Arena. Unfortunately, his winning streak came to a halt as he was defeated by Sinner, who managed to end his 33-match winning streak at the tournament.

Later on, Djokovic expressed his admiration for Sinner's excellent performance and acknowledged that he deserved to be in the finals due to his outstanding display throughout the tournament. Djokovic also admitted that Sinner had outperformed him completely during the match.

I was utterly surprised by my performance, but for all the wrong reasons. During the initial two sets, I couldn't seem to get things right.

I must say, this grand slam match ranks among the most terrible ones I have ever played, or at least the worst that comes to mind. Playing in such a manner does not provide a joyful experience.

"However, I must acknowledge that he outperformed me in every aspect of the game, and I commend him for that. He truly deserves congratulations."

During the match against Sinner, Djokovic was not playing his best and felt like he wasn't in top form throughout the tournament. Despite losing to the 22-year-old Italian player, Djokovic is not worried that this is the start of a downward trend for him.

Last season, Djokovic experienced a difficult loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. It seems that the newer generation has eventually matched up to the 24-time grand slam champion.

"Okay, let me think," remarked Djokovic. "I still have optimism for future slams, the Olympics, and any other tournaments I participate in. This is just the start of the season."

This feeling is unfamiliar to me. Usually, I find it immensely fulfilling to kick off my seasons with a grand slam victory and maintain an unbeaten record in the Australian Open semis and finals.

But it is what it is: this tournament has fallen short of my usual standards, expectations, and criteria for performance. It's not quite the same as what I'm used to, but that's just the way it is.

However, it doesn't indicate that things are inevitably coming to a close, as some individuals prefer to call it. We must wait and witness the outcome of the remaining season.

On Sunday, Sinner will participate in his maiden grand slam final. He shared that his confidence increased after triumphing over Djokovic twice in a span of two weeks during the ATP Finals and Davis Cup towards the conclusion of the previous season.

Sinner revealed that defeating a single player gives an immense sense of satisfaction. He further elaborated that it was a great opportunity for him to play with the same player three times in ten days towards the end of last year. This was a privilege he cherished as you can learn by practicing with others, but when it comes to a real match, it's always different.

I believe that this helped me in one aspect, but in another aspect, it was a big win mentally. I aimed to play in a calm manner while still having a good strategy in place. I think my approach worked effectively today.