Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic reached the final of the Australian Open 2026 for the eleventh time in his career. In the semi-final match, he defeated the world's top-ranked expert Yannick Sinner.
In the semifinal match of the first Grand Slam of the 2026 season, the second and fourth rackets of the world — Yannick Sinner and Novak Djokovic — met.
How did the match between Djokovic and Sinner go?
- At the start of the first set, Sinner took the lead, taking advantage of a Djokovic error on his serve and eventually managing to make a three-game surge. After that, the tennis players went into a series of games, which ended with the Italian winning 6:3.
- In the second set, Djokovic managed to regain the lead, finishing the game with the same score, only in his favor.
- The third set went to the Italian again. Djokovic had a chance to fight back in the deciding game, winning a set point from Sinner, but the world number two managed to finish the game in his favor — 6:4.
- Djokovic, with a score of 5:4 in his favor, entered the deciding game in the fourth set, with Sinner saving set points from the Serb twice, but in the end Novak finished the game with a victory.
- In the decisive, fifth set, Djokovic managed to win eight break points from Sinner and ultimately end the match with his victory.
Australian Open-2026. Semi-final (men)
Novak Djokovic (Serbia, 4) — Yannick Sinner (Italy, 2) 3:2 (3:6, 6:3, 4:6, 6:4, 6:4)
“It's an unreal feeling, playing for over four hours. I remember 2012 when I played Rafa [Nadal] in the final – it lasted almost six hours, but the intensity and quality of the tennis was extremely high and it was the only chance I had against him,” Djokovic said.
Before the Australian Open semi-final, Yannick Sinner had a seven-match winning streak against Djokovic in head-to-head matches. The Serbian tennis player last won at the Davis Cup in 2023.
“He [Sinner] won the last seven matches against me. He had my mobile number, but I'll have to change it tonight. Just kidding, I said to him, 'Thank you for letting me win at least once.' I have a lot of respect for Yannick, he's an incredible player and he pushes you to the limit. He deserves a round of applause for his game.”
Djokovic has reached the final of the Australian Grand Slam for the eleventh time in his professional career. The Serbian tennis player is the sole leader in this indicator. At the same time, Djokovic has never lost in the finals of the Australian Open – his statistics are 10:0.
“I know that in a few days I will have to come back and fight the number one. I hope I have enough strength to face him. Let God decide who will win,” Djokovic said.
The 2026 Australian Open final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled for Sunday, February 1.