Djokovic beats Sinner to Reach Australian Open Final

Novak Djokovic reached his 38th Grand Slam final after defeating Jannik Sinner in a late night semifinal at the Australian Open.

The match stretched close to four hours and finished near 2 a.m., with Djokovic producing one of his most demanding performances of the tournament. It ended a five match losing streak against Sinner and sent the 38-year-old into his 11th Australian Open final.

Speaking on court afterward, Djokovic struggled to put the moment into words.

“I’m lost for words right now, to be honest. Oh my God, it feels surreal,” he said.
“Playing four hours, it’s almost 2 a.m. Reminiscing in 2012, I played Rafa in the final that was almost six hours. But the level of intensity and quality of tennis tonight was extremely high.”

Djokovic said he knew he had to play at his absolute limit to have any chance.

“I knew that was the only way for me to have a chance to win today against him. He won the last five matches against me,” he said.
“He had my mobile number, so I had to change my number tonight,” Djokovic joked, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Despite the rivalry, Djokovic made it clear how much respect he has for Sinner.

“Jokes aside, I told him at the net thanks for allowing me at least one in the last couple of years,” he said.
“I have tremendous respect for him. Incredible player. He pushes you to the limit, which is what he did tonight. He deserves a great round of applause for his performance.”

The win sets up a final with Carlos Alcaraz, a matchup loaded with history and contrast. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 5–4, though Alcaraz won their most recent meeting. Djokovic beat Alcaraz at the Australian Open last season in the quarterfinals.

It will be Djokovic’s 11th final in Melbourne and Alcaraz’s first. The 38-year-old chasing another chapter in his legacy. The 22-year-old chasing his own place in history.