All posts tagged: Novak Djokovic australian open

Quick Comment | Novak Djokovic’s statement of intent: He has legs, power, abilities to beat his young detractors | Tennis News

Quick Comment | Novak Djokovic’s statement of intent: He has legs, power, abilities to beat his young detractors | Tennis News

Published by Webster

4 min readJan 30, 2026 09:03 PM IST What is it they say about fortune favouring the brave? It’s not too tough to estimate the thoughts that would have been rifling through Novak Djokovic’s head as Lorenzo Musetti was thoroughly outplaying him in their Australian Open quarterfinal on Wednesday. The undisputed king of Melbourne Park had not only lost his throne but was in the middle of the kind of thrashing that would have ordinarily caused a moment of reckoning for a 38-year-old legend. On Sunday, he will return to his lair – night time at Rod Laver Arena – in a first Major final in two years, attempting to win his 25th. Such reversals have been so commonplace in the two decades that Djokovic spent ruling men’s tennis that most onlookers had come to expect it. But a shallow run during which his body had betrayed him had made the prospect of seeing it from him again in the twilight of his career seem near impossible. Slim pickings for a man who specialises in …

Australian Open 2026: With fortune smiling on him, and a relatively fresh body at his disposal, Novak Djokovic has best chance against Jannik Sinner in semifinal | Tennis News

Australian Open 2026: With fortune smiling on him, and a relatively fresh body at his disposal, Novak Djokovic has best chance against Jannik Sinner in semifinal | Tennis News

Published by Webster

There is no injury concern, no draining workload from previous matches. There remain few excuses. Novak Djokovic was in the throes of a drubbing; what would have unquestionably been a hugely demoralising defeat that would have triggered all sorts of speculation about his future. Instead, a golden opportunity has landed in his lap: he will play second seed Jannik Sinner in the semifinal of the Australian Open on Friday with mind and body totally fresh, just two-and-a-half hours of tennis under his belt in the six-day period between the third round and the semifinal. Djokovic’s fourth round opponent, Jakub Mensik, had handed him a walkover. “I will double my prayers tonight,” Djokovic said, expressing “gratitude” for the good fortune of making the semifinals without winning a single set in two rounds. On a warm Wednesday evening at Melbourne Park, an inspired Lorenzo Musetti, the fifth seed from Italy, spent two sets thoroughly outplaying the Serb before he heard a pop in his right adductor muscle and could barely walk any more. Intense treatment was received, …

‘I’m chasing Jannik and Carlos? In which sense?’: Novak Djokovic slams ‘disrespectful’ question by journo in Aus Open press conference | Tennis News

‘I’m chasing Jannik and Carlos? In which sense?’: Novak Djokovic slams ‘disrespectful’ question by journo in Aus Open press conference | Tennis News

Published by Webster

Novak Djokovic who qualified for the semifinals of the Australian Open on Wednesday after Italian fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti had to retire despite a two-set lead in the quarterfinal, took umbrage to a question by a journalist in the press conference where he told the Serb that he was chasing after Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the new top dogs of world tennis. “I’m chasing Jannik and Carlos? In which sense? So I’m always the chaser and never been chased? I find if a little bit disrespectful that you kind of miss out on what happened in between where the times when I started ‘chasing’ as you say Rafa and Roger… and now that I’m chasing Carlos and Jannik. There’s probably about a 15 year period in between where I was dominating the Grand Slams. I think it’s important to put that in perspective. I don’t feel like I’m chasing to be honest,” Djokovic said in the press conference. “Roger and Rafa will always be my greatest rivals. I have tremendous respect for what Jannik …

Two sets down, Novak Djokovic qualifies for 13th Australian Open semi-final after injured Musetti retires

Two sets down, Novak Djokovic qualifies for 13th Australian Open semi-final after injured Musetti retires

Published by Webster

Outplayed for the better part of two hours and looking both physically and mentally jaded, Novak Djokovic took the microphone after becoming the oldest player to reach the Australian Open semifinals in 60 years and acknowledged just how lucky he got. His opponent, the Italian fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti, had his number throughout the sultry evening on Melbourne Park, popping big backhands and playing attack-first tennis with perfect point construction. He had deservedly gone into a two-set lead before inexplicably suffering a groin injury out of nowhere. There had been neither any excessive jerks nor a bad fal,l but Musetti instantly felt something at the start of the third set. The trainer was called and he received intense treatment, but his expression told the tale. After trying to carry on, the Italian eventually threw in the towel to lose 6-3, 6-4, 1–3 RET and hand Djokovic a place in the final four. Lorenzo 💔💔💔💔💔💔💔 pic.twitter.com/kXZoIa8ksu — The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 28, 2026 “Don’t know what to say except that I feel sorry for him. …

When Novak Djokovic made 100 unforced errors — and still won — at the Australian Open

When Novak Djokovic made 100 unforced errors — and still won — at the Australian Open

Published by Webster

Novak Djokovic has looked spectacularly flawless so far at Melbourne Park this week as he bids for a 25th Grand Slam on his most successful surface — his beloved “Happy Slam,” the Australian Open. The 24-time major champion, who earlier this week became the first man to reach 100 Australian Open wins, is pitted against Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round at Rod Laver Arena on Saturday. Things were far from smooth sailing at the same venue, exactly 10 years ago, on January 24, 2016. He would falter and flounder with an unusual century against his name and yet not surrender! Djokovic dug a grave for himself that afternoon. Entering the 2016 Australian Open as the reigning champion and world No. 1, he had cruised through the first three rounds without dropping a set. Then came Frenchman Gilles Simon. What followed was a four-hour-and-32-minute war that pushed Djokovic to the brink. Simon’s relentless defence and Djokovic’s increasingly faulty batch of drop shots dragged the contest into a fifth set — and into the …

How Novak Djokovic can still win a Grand Slam during Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner era

How Novak Djokovic can still win a Grand Slam during Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner era

Published by Webster

2025 was the year Novak Djokovic was forced to be a mere challenger, an outsider, at Grand Slam tournaments that he had spent two decades owning. With his sporting obituaries seemingly already written, and twilight dawning on his career, one could have expected a reflective moment away from the spotlight to ponder some big decisions ahead of the start of another gruelling season. What more does the 38-year-old 24-time Major winner have left to prove? He has put a definitive line in the sand regarding his legacy in the sport – separating himself even from the all-time greats to stand alone at the peak. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the new savants of men’s tennis; Djokovic has every right to excuse himself from mounting a challenge against champions who are closer in age to his children than to him. But to assume as much would be to misunderstand one of modern sport’s most consistently misunderstood greats. Challenges, for the Serbian legend, are not so daunting as they are instruments to unlock the ambition that …

2025 reimagined: What if… Novak Djokovic wasn’t injured at Australian Open | Cricket News

2025 reimagined: What if… Novak Djokovic wasn’t injured at Australian Open | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has ended 2025 as distinctly the third-best player in the world; his quest for a record-extending 25th Major title looking further out of reach than ever before. But he did not seem so far off when he started the year. The Serb may have gone without a Major in 2024, but reaching the Wimbledon final a few weeks removed from knee surgery was certainly credible. Ending his long wait for Olympic gold, beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final, only strengthened his credentials. And the Australian Open, he sprung up the kind of surprise that showed exactly why he remained dangerous at the biggest tournaments in the world. After picking up an injury while being outplayed during his quarterfinal battle against the Spaniard Alcaraz, he came up with some masterful disruptive tactics to not only scramble his younger opponent but also take his game to another level. He turned the contest around and won in four sets to go into the final four. With the confidence-boosting win, Djokovic was surely a …

Novak Djokovic retires hurt from Australian Open: Has he played his last in Melbourne? Says, ‘There’s always a chance, but…’ | Tennis News

Novak Djokovic retires hurt from Australian Open: Has he played his last in Melbourne? Says, ‘There’s always a chance, but…’ | Tennis News

Published by Webster

It’s the Grand Slam where Novak Djokovic has had the most success over the course of his professional career, but after walking out of the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Friday, the Serb wasn’t a 100% sure if he’d be back one more time. The 10-time Australian Open champion remained coy about his future as a torn muscle ended his quest for a historic 25th Major and a record-extending 11th title Down Under. Is there a chance this could have been his last appearance at Melbourne Park? “I don’t know. There is a chance,” Djokovic said in the post-match press conference. “Who knows? I’ll just have to see how the season goes. I want to keep going. But whether I’m going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I’m not sure. I normally like to come to Australia to play. I’ve had the biggest success in my career here. So if I’m fit, healthy, motivated, I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t come. But there’s always a chance, yeah,” …

Jim Courier on Novak Djokovic’s historic win over Carlos Alcaraz: ‘We have just seen what Novak could have….’ | Tennis News

Jim Courier on Novak Djokovic’s historic win over Carlos Alcaraz: ‘We have just seen what Novak could have….’ | Tennis News

Published by Webster

While Novak Djokovic created history with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over world number 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarter-finals to become the only male player to reach 50 Grand Slam semifinals, the Serbian also had to fight an injury scare in the opening set of the match. The world number 7 was seen struggling with his leg in the first set before he returned in the match with his upper thing being strapped up. Six-time Grand Slam winner Jim Courier has termed the Serbian’s comeback to the comebacks his compatriot Andre Agassi would make in his career. Courier, who had a 7-5 win-loss record against Agassi shared his views post the match. “We have just seen what Novak could have played like for his entire career. If he decided that he wanted to return like Andre Agassi, I guess he could have! That’s what it looked like tonight. It was born out of necessity. This was a guy who had limited options once the injury took place.” Courier told Channel Nine. …

Novak Djokovic serves a lesson to Carlos Alcaraz with masterful disruptive tactics in Australian Open | Tennis News

Novak Djokovic serves a lesson to Carlos Alcaraz with masterful disruptive tactics in Australian Open | Tennis News

Published by Webster

Novak Djokovic may have the most impressive resume, the most complete game, and the sturdiest and longest period of success in the game’s history. The truly defining factor of his greatness, though, may be almost imperceptible, and equally hard to articulate: a complete mastery over the physical marathon and mental gymnastics of best-of-five sets tennis on the Grand Slam stage. At 37, with 24 Majors in tow, on the heels of a lacklustre year following the emergence of a new, young brigade, reasonable questions may have been asked if that mastery would ever be on show again. The answer is a resounding yes. Across four sets of compelling, high-octane tennis on a breezy summer evening at his favourite hunting ground – Melbourne Park’s Rod Laver Arena – Djokovic returned from a set down and a minor injury to defeat Carlos Alcaraz, the third seed and 16 years his junior, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open on Tuesday. Lovely words, Nole 💙 Total respect between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz 🤝#AusOpen …