Novak Djokovic defeated Jannik Sinner in a thrilling five-set Australian Open 2026 semifinal, becoming the oldest player in the Open Era to reach the final. The 38-year-old will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Novak Djokovic once again proved why he is one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, as the 38-year-old beat Jannik Sinner in an epic five-set semifinal to reach the Australian Open 2026 men’s singles final.
Playing for more than four hours under the lights at Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic defeated the two-time defending champion 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match full of intensity and drama and some brilliant shot-making.
Djokovic gets emotional
After the match, an emotional Djokovic admitted he was struggling to find words. “It feels surreal, to be honest,” he said, recalling his famous 2012 final against Rafael Nadal.
“Playing almost, you know, it was over four hours, almost 2 a.m., reminiscing in 2012 when I played Rafa in the finals. That was six hours almost. But the level of intensity and the quality of tennis was extremely high, and I knew that that was the only way for me to have a chance to win tonight against him. He won the last five matches against me. He had my mobile number so I had to change my number for tonight,” Djokovic said.
Bring on Sunday 🍿 pic.twitter.com/3aO7kIcEsr
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 30, 2026
He joked about Sinner having the upper hand recently, saying, “He won the last five matches against me. He had my mobile number so I had to change my number for tonight.”
Despite the joke, Djokovic was full of praise for the Italian. He said he thanked Sinner at the net for “allowing me at least one in the last couple of years” and called him an incredible player. “He deserves a great round of applause for his performance,” Djokovic said.
“I have tremendous respect for him. Incredible player. He pushes you to the very limit, which is what he did tonight to me,” he added.
The Serbian legend also thanked the crowd for staying late into the night and creating a special atmosphere. He gave a special mention to Margaret Court, who stayed to watch the match. “Tonight has been one of the best nights atmosphere-wise and support-wise I ever had in Australia,” Djokovic said, thanking the fans from the bottom of his heart.
On court, the match swung back and forth as Sinner started strong to take the first set and later the third. Djokovic, however, dug deep, especially in the fourth and fifth sets, saving multiple break points and winning the game.
The win makes Djokovic the oldest player in the Open Era to reach an Australian Open men’s singles final. It will also be his record 38th Grand Slam singles final, and on Sunday he will fight for an 11th Australian Open title and 25th major title.
Djokovic on playing Alcaraz in the final
After the match, Djokovic joked about
Carlos Alcaraz, his final opponent. He said Alcaraz apologised for delaying the start of his match, to which Djokovic replied, “I’m an old man. I need to go earlier to sleep.” But the Serbian knows the challenge ahead will be huge.
“Honestly, it feels like winning already tonight,” Djokovic said when asked about the final. “But I know I have to come back and fight the number one in the world. I just hope I’ll have enough gas to stay toe-to-toe with him. And then let God decide the winner.”
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