Novak Djokovic has insisted that he will not “walk out with a white flag” as he prepares for his latest battle with one of the ATP’s dominant top two in a grand slam semi-final, this time against the two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner on Friday in Melbourne.
“I’m creating my own history, and I think I’ve been very clear when I say that my intention is always to … get to the championship match in every tournament, particularly slams,” Djokovic said. “Slams are one of the biggest reasons why I keep on competing and playing tennis. So that’s all I can say.
“Are [Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz] better right now than me and all the other guys? Yes, they are. I mean, the quality and the level is amazing. It’s great. It’s phenomenal. But does that mean that I walk out with a white flag? No. I’m going to fight until the last shot, until the last point, and do my very best to challenge them.”
This match-up will mark Djokovic’s fifth consecutive grand slam semi-final, a remarkable development at 38. He struggled physically in the final stages of each of his four semi-final runs last year, his body unable to withstand the physical strain of six best of five sets matches. But this year Djokovic has spent only nine hours and seven minutes on court while playing 11 completed sets.
In theory, this is an extremely positive development for Djokovic, who managed to conserve energy across five rounds and should finally head into his match against Sinner in good physical shape. The problem is that despite being in the semi-finals, he has not won a set since the third round. After receiving a walkover against the 16th seed Jakub Mensik in round two, he was thoroughly outplayed by Lorenzo Musetti for two sets before being handed a remarkable slice of luck. A set away from one of the biggest wins of his career, the Italian was forced to retire due to injury.
Of his 53 previous grand slam semi-finals, the all-time record, there have been numerous instances when Djokovic has entered the final two rounds injured, out of form or struggling in other ways – but usually he has at least been able to draw upon the confidence of winning tennis matches. Here, the Serb faces off against the player who has won more hard-court matches than anyone over the past two years and has dominated their past five meetings with wins over Djokovic at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. It is difficult to remember another time when Djokovic entered a big match as such a heavy underdog.
Before they take to the court, Alcaraz will attempt to continue his pursuit of the career grand slam as he faces by far his toughest challenge of the tournament in the No 3 seed, Alexander Zverev. There are many details that paint a favourable picture for Alcaraz, who is yet to drop a set in the tournament and continues to play great tennis without the lapses in focus and application that accompanied his genius during his early years on the tour.
However, he will still have to produce a quality match against an in-form Zverev who has performed at a very high level during the tournament. Zverev is serving extremely well, he has struck his forehand with authority and aggression in the decisive moments, and he has handled himself well in past matches against Alcaraz, their head-to-head record tied at six wins apiece. Still, both Alcaraz and Sinner are exactly where they want to be at the Australian Open as they stand one round away from a potential fourth consecutive major final between them.
