Jannik Sinner Admits His Defeat Against Novak Djokovic At the Australian Open is “Already Behind” Him

Jannik Sinner to face Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.

Jannik Sinner Admits His Defeat Against Novak Djokovic At the Australian Open is “Already Behind” Him

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Danny, Jannik Sinner HQ)

In Short
  • Jannik Sinner has moved on from his Australian Open semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic.
  • He reached the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open after defeating Alexei Popyrin.
  • Sinner aims for his first Qatar Open title and has a 6-10 record against potential opponent Carlos Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner has insisted that he has forgotten about his loss to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Australian Open after reaching his maiden Qatar Open quarterfinals in Doha. The 24-year-old is playing in his first tournament since the Melbourne Grand Slam and is seeking his first title of the season.

Sinner was the favorite to win the first Grand Slam of the season, having done that on two occasions in the past. But at this year’s Australian Open, he failed to produce the same excellent display he showed in 2024 and 2025, falling to Djokovic in five sets in the semi-finals.

The Italian star noted after the loss that he was heavily disappointed with his performance. However, after taking two weeks break from the tour, he returned to the court at the Qatar Open, winning his opening match against Tomas Machac before facing Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday (February 17).

Against Popyrin, Sinner didn’t face a single break point during the one hour and 24 minutes of the encounter. He claimed the win easily, 6-3, 6-4, to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 tournament. The win marks Sinner’s 50th consecutive match victory against opponents ranked outside the Top 50 in the ATP rankings.

The World No.2 also extended his remarkable consistency on hard courts, having now reached the quarter-finals or better in 19 of his last 20 tournaments on the surface. In an interview with Ubitennis, Sinner revealed that he has gotten over the loss against Djokovic and he’s focused on improving his game:

No, honestly, those are matches that have already been played, so I don’t think about them anymore. They’re tough matches here; nobody gives you anything for free. I just try to give my best, to improve. That’s always been the key for me: to be the best player I can be. Sometimes we manage that and everything’s fine, sometimes we have to find another solution, like today, to step out of our comfort zone. It went well.

Sinner has never won the Qatar Open. The 24-year-old won six titles last year, two of which were at an ATP 500 tournament. Should he reach the final of the Qatar Open, he’s projected to face Carlos Alcaraz. He holds an underwhelming 6-10 head-to-head record against the Spaniard on tour.

Jannik Sinner opens up on how he tries to balance things during rough spells on tour

Jannik Sinner has often proven he can bounce back from difficult losses on tour. Last year, after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the US Open in New York, he rebounded in Beijing, winning the China Open. He then continued with the form by winning the Vienna Open after beating Alexander Zverev in three sets.

Jannik Sinner (2)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

Sinner has won 14 tour-level titles in the past two seasons on tour. The World No.2 will hope to get back to form in Doha and perhaps win the Qatar Open for the first time in his career. During the aforementioned interview, he noted that he has to continue his growth in the sport while approaching the game with more hope:

Honestly, it’s all about balance in life in general. This sport has given me beautiful moments, emotions I didn’t think existed, but also many difficult moments. It’s all part of the sport. In the end, we try to grow, to maintain a very calm approach to tennis. I hope this is a recipe for going as far as possible. In the high moments, I don’t get too big for myself , and in the low moments, I don’t tell myself I can’t play tennis anymore.

Sinner will face Jakub Mensik in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open. Mensik defeated Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 6-2 to advance to the last eight. The Czech Republic star is playing in his first tournament since pulling out of the Australian Open round of 16 after suffering an abdominal injury.

Also Read: (Video) Carlos Alcaraz’s Opponent Sends Him and Jannik Sinner Warning After Qatar Open Exit