For the first time since 2018, Novak Djokovic suffered a defeat at the Australian Open after continuously winning the trophy in Melbourne on the trot. And the defeat finally came in the semifinals, which he never lost in his last 10 appearances.
His opponent in the semifinals, Jannik Sinner, registered a win in the first two sets before claiming the fourth one to hammer the Serbian with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(8-6), 6-3. Sinner also ended the Serb’s 33-match winning streak in Melbourne. After his defeat, the 24-time Grand Slam champion told the Serbian reporters that he would need time to move on and think rationally.
Return was one of the shots that didn’t work for me today, although I don’t know what did. Djokovic told Serbian media after the defeat
Djokovic did not have a single break point in the match against Sinner. He called his performance one of the worst at a Grand Slam event.
I was on the wrong foot the whole time, both in points and on the scoreboard. One of the worst, if not the worst performance at Slams. It happens, it’s part of the sport. On the return, I just didn’t have the quickness of the reaction, I wasn’t able to read his serve and I never felt that I had stability and balance on that shot.
Djokovic added
Nick Kyrgios says Jannik Sinner could become the new Novak Djokovic
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, who is not playing at his home Grand Slam, showered praises on Jannik Sinner. Kyrgios, who has been doing commentary for Eurosport during the Australian Open, said he has been keeping an eye on Sinner’s performance over the last couple of years, and thinks that everyone is going to see the Italian play more Grand Slam finals in the future.
Sinner, after his victory over Djokovic, said that he and the Serb have a similar style. Kyrgios also thinks the same and opined that the 22-year-old can become the new Djokovic.
He's like him and Novak plays similar. I can see it. After today, I definitely think that Sinner could be the New Novak. Kyrgios said on Eurosport
Kyrgios also praised Sinner for choosing the right people to work with. Notably, Sinner parted ways with childhood coach Riccardo Piatti in 2022 and hired Darren Cahill who used to coach Andy Murray, Andre Agassi, and Ana Ivanovic. In 2023, Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi won the Coach of the Year in the 2023 ATP Awards.
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