Jannik Sinner disrupted one of Novak Djokovic‘s flawless streaks at the Australian Open and then got to relax when Daniil Medvedev returned from two sets down to defeat Alexander Zverev after midnight to clinch the second spot in the final. The 22-year-old from Italy broke Djokovic’s serve twice in the opening two sets of a surprisingly lopsided 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 triumph at Rod Laver Arena, ending the 10-time champion’s unbeaten streak in the semifinals.
“I learned a lot from that,” he said of that Wimbledon loss and his subsequent wins. “It gives you a better feeling when you know that you can beat one player. The confidence from the end of last year has for sure kept the belief.”
Zverev’s run gained attention both on and off the court as it was revealed that a German court had scheduled a trial in May for an assault claim dating back to 2020. Also read: Wimbledon’s Grand Vision: A New Stadium and 38 Courts
After winning the first two sets, Zverev was on the verge of reaching his second Grand Slam final. Instead, Medvedev, the 2021 US Open winner whose journey here included a grueling second-round triumph that ended at nearly 4 a.m., will be looking for his second major trophy.
Djokovic’s record-breaking 11th Australian and 25th major victory will have to wait.
He hadn’t lost a match at Melbourne Park since a fourth-round defeat in 2018, had never lost after reaching the final four, and was riding a 33-match winning streak at the season’s first major.
“He deserves to be in the finals and totally outplayed me,” Djokovic remarked. “Look, I was astonished by my level — in a negative sense. I didn’t do much correctly in the first two sets. “This is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever played — at least that I remember.”
Djokovic did not have a chance at a break point, which is the first time it has happened in a Grand Slam match.
“That stat says a lot,” Djokovic explained. First and foremost, he was serving with accuracy and precision, and he was backing up his serve really effectively. Also read: Jannik Sinner Net Worth 2024, Prize Money, Endorsements, Cars, Houses, Properties, Charities Etc.
“I’ve done a lot of bad stuff on the court today in terms of my playing. “Everything was just subpar.”
Sinner grabbed the first two sets in under 1¼ hours in moderate afternoon circumstances, an astounding start against a player who lost only one Grand Slam match last year—the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz. Djokovic, as he often does, improved his serve %, reduced his unforced errors, and increased the pressure in the third set.
He fended off three break points to hold from 15-40 down in the second game of the fourth, but Sinner took a critical service break in the fourth, claiming five straight points from 40-0 down to lead 3-1. Djokovic fans’ continuous chanting of “Nole, Nole, Nole, Nole” rang around Rod Laver Arena between major games, giving it a football vibe. It increased the intensity of both players.
The chair umpire requested spectators to be silent three times while Sinner served for the match.
The loss against Djokovic at Wimbledon has become a watershed moment in their rivalry. After losing the first three meetings, Sinner won two of the next three, all in November, at the ATP Finals group stage in Turin and the Davis Cup semifinals.
“I think you win the matches not only on that day, you win it because you feel prepared for a good fight,” Sinner was quoted as saying. “After last year, especially end of the year, gave me confidence that I could potentially do some good results in Grand Slams.” Also read: Eugenie Bouchard Reveals Her New Boyfriend, making It Official