Novak Djokovic defied age, expectation and recent form in the early hours of Saturday in Melbourne, defeating Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals and reaching yet another grand slam final.
The Serbian great overturned a two-sets-to-one deficit to beat the two-time defending champion and second seed 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semi-finals at Rod Laver Arena, extending his remarkable longevity at the very top of the sport.
The victory sends Djokovic into his 11th Australian Open final and his 38th grand slam final overall, both all-time records. In doing so, he has become the oldest man in the Open era to reach the final in Melbourne as he continues his pursuit of a record-extending 25th major title.
Given the path that took him to the last four, confidence in Djokovic beforehand was limited. In the quarter-finals he had been outplayed for two sets by Lorenzo Musetti before the Italian was forced to retire, while his earlier rounds had also been disrupted by withdrawals from opponents. He had not completed a straight-sets victory since the third round.
That fragility appeared early on against Sinner. Djokovic surrendered his opening service game with a pair of loose errors and the first set slipped away quickly. As the match wore on, however, the world No 4 settled into a familiar rhythm, stepping inside the baseline and attacking Sinner’s forehand whenever possible, taking the ball early and redirecting it cleanly from both wings.
An early break in the second set gave Djokovic control and, despite visible physical discomfort, he levelled the match through precise serving under pressure. The demands of Sinner’s relentless baseline intensity began to tell, particularly on a body that has played relatively little competitive tennis since last year’s US Open.
Sinner, serving superbly and striking 26 aces, responded emphatically. He dominated his service games in the third set and reclaimed the initiative, breaking Djokovic late to move ahead once more.
When Sinner established a two-sets-to-one lead, the balance of probability favoured the Italian. Instead, Djokovic struck first again, breaking serve at the start of the fourth set and maintaining relentless pressure. Backed by a raucous Melbourne crowd, he served with authority to force a deciding set.
More than three and a half hours into the contest, Djokovic’s instincts took over. He saved five break points early in the fifth set with daring shot-making, then seized his own chance decisively to close out another historic victory.
Djokovic will now face Carlos Alcaraz in the final, rekindling one of the sport’s most compelling rivalries. Djokovic will attempt to become the oldest men’s grand slam champion in history, while Alcaraz seeks to become the youngest player ever to complete the career grand slam.
