Novak Djokovic will meet world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the men’s Australian Open after pulling off one of the most breathtaking performances of his career earlier today, defeating Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set battle.
On a court that he has dominated for nearly two decades, the Serbian champion was fighting back tears when the Rod Laver Arena crowd chanted his name and the scoreboard read 3–6, 6–3, 4–6, 6–4, 6–4.
The 38-year-old had just matched, and eventually eclipsed, a bigger-hitting, faster-moving opponent 14 years his junior.
When asked about facing Alcaraz in tomorrow’s final, Djokovic joked after the match that he felt like he had already won the tournament following such an epic semi-final.
The Spanish sensation is bidding to become the youngest player ever to complete the career Grand Slam.
The two played twice in 2025. Djokovic beat Alcaraz in four sets in the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, but most recently the Spaniard was far too good in a US Open semi-final, winning in straight sets.
Djokovic won his first Slam at Melbourne Park in 2008, when he defeated Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets. At the time, Alcaraz was still waiting to celebrate his fifth birthday.
Source: Stuff.co.nz
