:focal(1257x469:1259x467)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2026/01/30/image-f3b39055-b23a-4403-977a-68abd1fab0ea-85-2560-1440.jpeg "Sinner vs Djokovic: Australian Open Flashback & 570-Day Wait")
Djokovic still has the sacred fire, Sinner dethroned: the long format of an intense half
Video credit: Eurosport
Tennis is a cruel sport where scoring more points than your opponent may not be enough to win the match. Jannik Sinner had the terrible experience this Friday after a fight in five sets, ultimately lost to Novak Djokovic. We ended up believing Jannik Sinner invincible in Grand Slams, except against Carlos Alcaraz. And for good reason, he had been there for more than a year and a half. To find the trace of a defeat for the Italian in one of the four Majors against a player other than the Spaniard, we had to go back to Wimbledon 2024 and a quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev.
Since Tuesday, July 9, Sinner has won three of his four Grand Slam tournaments and simply lost in the final, each time, against Carlos Alcaraz. This setback, 570 days later, appears to be a painful step backwards for the world number 2. Last year, at Wimbledon or Roland-Garros, in the semi-final each time, Djokovic never had an opening despite a nice fight at Porte d’Auteuil whose dry score, in three sets, does not fully reflect the balance of power.
Djokovic, incredulous: “I feel like I won (the tournament) tonight”
Video credit: Eurosport
When we least expected it
Despite everything, since 2023, before Sinner became Sinner, the Italian had always gotten the better of the Serb and sometimes, often even, with a margin that left Djokovic little hope for the future. Nothing suggested this spectacular turnaround. Apart from the episode of cramps against Eliot Spizzirri, Sinner had rolled over all his opponents as he now does in every tournament. And Djokovic tumbled into the semi-final, taking advantage of a withdrawal in the 8th (Mensik) and an injury in the quarter during a match that was completely beyond his control (Musetti).
In truth, “Nole” would probably never have had his chance if the other Italian’s adductors had held on. Yet he grabbed it when we least expected it. And everything ended up shattering in Melbourne. The certainties that seemed eternal. Sinner’s dominance over the greatest player in history. Its influence on the circuit, outside of Alcaraz. And, to make the picture worse, his 19-match invincibility at the Australian Open, where he had not lost for 1104 days and a round of 16 against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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Henin, captivated by Djokovic: “This man has inexhaustible resources”
Video credit: Eurosport
“This one hurts a lothe ended up saying at a press conference. It was a very important Grand Slam for me, obviously. It can happen. We both played well. I had a lot of opportunities but I didn’t know how to make them happen. And here is the result.“The result precisely: the Sinner statue is unbolted. He who had only lost two matches last season apart from his clashes against the world number 1: a setback against Alexander Bublik in Halle and another, lost due to an injury, against Tallon Griekspoor in the heat of Shanghai.
For Sinner, it’s an end of series and an end of reign. He is no longer invincible. And this defeat could seriously complicate his task in regaining the top of the ATP ranking, while the path seemed clear in the coming months with the fresh points that his suspension last season had taken away from him. This Friday, Sinner became a mortal like any other again.
