Novak Djokovic Upbeat About Overcoming Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in Grand Slams After Australian Open Final Loss
Novak Djokovic stunned two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner to reach the Australian Open final, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in four sets.
Follow Us
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, Jannik SInner (images via Getty)
🔍 Explore this post with:
24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic defied age, expectations, and especially his doubters when he defeated two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner to reach the Australian Open final. He was on a five-match losing streak to Sinner prior to the semifinal and had not reached a Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2024.
Many believed his days were over of challenging Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, but Djokovic proved everyone wrong by reaching his 38th Grand Slam final at the age of 38, an age by which most professional tennis players retire.
Even though he lost the final 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7 to Alcaraz, Djokovic is still optimistic about pushing more. He has returned to the World No. 3 ranking and is raising the bar for longevity in sports every day. At the post-match press conference, Djokovic expressed his desire to keep on pushing:
I knew I’d probably have to beat two of them on the way to the title. I beat one, which is great. It’s a step more further than I’ve gone in Grand Slams than last year. Very nice and encouraging, but not enough for me. I’m gonna keep pushing and see if I get another chance.
Djokovic has now played 11 Australian Open finals, and the 2026 edition marked his first loss in the tournament final. Alcaraz has defeated Djokovic thrice in Grand Slam finals. The two also met in the finals of the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon Championships.
Djokovic played impressively in the first set of the final in Melbourne, considering he had to recover after a tough five-set battle against Sinner in the semifinal in just two days. Djokovic seemed more physically tired by the next few sets, but still delivered some brilliant volleys, drop shots, and forehand shots during his match against Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz becomes the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam
Carlos Alcaraz had never progressed beyond the quarterfinals of the Australian Open before 2026. By finally winning this tournament, the 22-year-old has become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. He surpasses compatriot Rafael Nadal’s Open Era record in this field. Nadal became the youngest man to complete the Career Golden Slam after winning the 2010 US Open title at the age of 24.
Alcaraz now has seven Grand Slams and will also be in contention to complete the Double Career Grand Slam if he defends his Australian Open title next year. He comfortably sits at the top of the ATP rankings table with 13,650 points, which is more than 3000 points ahead of World No. 2 Jannik Sinner. The Australian Open also marks Alcaraz’s first title after parting ways with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who guided him to his first 24 singles titles.
Novak Djokovic’s path to the Australian Open final
Novak Djokovic had an unusually lucky path to the 2026 Australian Open final. A big challenge that he faced in 2025 was meeting Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in the later stages of the Grand Slams. The men’s Grand Slams are best of five sets, and Djokovic has struggled to recover in the later stages of Grand Slams at his age.
However, at the 2026 Australian Open, things turned out differently for him. The Serb reached the fourth round of the tournament without dropping a set, where he was scheduled to meet Jakub Mensik. He had to unfortunately withdraw from the tournament before this match due to an abdominal muscle injury, giving Djokovic a three-day rest and a walkover to the quarterfinal.
Djokovic’s quarterfinal opponent, Lorenzo Musetti, retired mid-match due to injury after leading two sets to love. Will Djokovic be lucky in the upcoming Grand Slams, and if not, it will be interesting to see how he fares after playing all his best-of-five set matches.
/techfirstnow/media/agency_attachments/kATjCXskQdJKkXN0OuqW.png)