Novak Djokovic Lost His First Australian Open Semifinal and Tennis Fans Were Stunned

Novak Djokovic competing at the Australian Open had always been a sure thing. He’d never lost a semifinal or final match in Melbourne, going 20–0, while winning the tournament a record 10 times.

However, Djokovic’s sterling record now has a blemish. Seeking his 25th grand slam title, the world No. 1 player lost his semifinal match on Friday to Jannik Sinner 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3. 

Djokovic may have run into a buzzsaw with Sinner. He’d won 15 consecutive sets going into Friday’s match. That success continued against Djokovic, winning the first two sets of their match. It was ultimately too much of a deficit to overcome and Djokovic suffered his first loss at the Australian Open since 2018. 

“I guess this is one of the worst grand slam matches I’ve ever played – at least that I remember,” Djokovic said to reporters afterward. “Not a very pleasant feeling playing this way. But at the same time, credit to him for doing everything better than me in every aspect of the game.”

Sinner has now defeated Djokovic in three of their past four matches going back to November.

The loss compelled many tennis fans to question whether or not the sport has reached the end of an era with neither Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, or Roger Federer playing in the Australian Open for the first time since 2005.