Australian Open, Men's Singles semi-final highlights: Djokovic does the unthinkable, beats Jannik Sinner

Well, that's a wrap from our end and it's been an absolute pleasure to cover today's set of fixtures. Come back tomorrow though as we have the Women's Singles final coming up. You won't want to miss this. 

Thank you and goodnight

Difficult, not impossible as Djokovic delivers Melbourne classic

Oftentimes, Novak Djokovic has drawn the short end against the present-day elite. Against Jannik Sinner, that trend had been hard to ignore — until now.

In a semifinal that stretched deep into the Melbourne night, Djokovic turned belief into reality, overcoming his Sinner hoodoo in a five-set epic that will live long in Australian Open history.

Written off by some and chasing players more than a decade younger, the Serb leaned on experience, nerve and sheer will. The reaction said everything — collapsing to the court in disbelief after more than four hours of battle.

Sinner pushed him to the limit. The crowd lifted him. And once again, Djokovic proved that difficult was never the same as impossible.

Read more about what he said here

The reaction says it all.

Watching Novak Djokovic grind through another Melbourne epic struck a chord with fans, especially those who’ve heard the talk about age and decline over the past year.

That feeling — defiance, resilience, belief — summed up the night perfectly.

Others leaned straight into the nostalgia.

Hyperbole or not, it underlines the same point. Even now, against elite opponents like Jannik Sinner and with Carlos Alcaraz waiting in the final, Djokovic continues to force the tennis world to rethink its assumptions.

Written off. Questioned. Still standing.

And nights like this are exactly why.

“Honestly, tonight already feels like a win. But I know I have to come back in less than two days and face the number one player in the world.
My only wish is to have enough gas to stay toe-to-toe with him. Then, let God decide the winner.”

Next stop: the Australian Open final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Yes, I watched it. What an incredible match. Huge credit to both of them for the quality and intensity they brought. I think the fans definitely got their money’s worth today — maybe I should get 10% of the ticket sales tonight. Craig, no negotiations.
Carlos actually apologized for delaying the start of my match, and I told him, ‘I’m an old man, I need to go to sleep earlier.’ I’m looking forward to seeing him in a few days.”

Djokovic, still sharp — on court and on the mic.

“I wasn’t wrong — I said it would be very difficult, not impossible.

They are playing on a different level, so I had to find that level myself. And tonight, I managed to do that.”

At 37, Djokovic still finds a way to raise his ceiling.

“It was unbelievable. Some legends stayed up until 2 a.m. — Margaret Court, thank you so much for being here.
To everyone in the stands, you were incredible tonight. I love our passionate relationship. Every year it’s something different, but tonight was one of — if not the — best atmospheres I’ve ever experienced in Australia. Support-wise, it was special.”

A rare night where the love was loud — and mutual.

“He won the last five matches against me, so he basically had my mobile number — I had to change it for tonight.
But jokes aside, I told him at the net, ‘Thank you for allowing me at least one win in the last couple of years.’ I have tremendous respect for him. He’s an incredible player and he pushes you to the absolute limit — which is exactly what he did tonight.”

Five straight losses. One massive response.

“I’m honestly lost for words. It feels surreal. We played for more than four hours, almost until 2 a.m., and it brought back memories of 2012 when I played Rafa in the final for nearly six hours. The intensity tonight, the quality of tennis, was extremely high. I knew that was the only way I’d have a chance to win against him.”

Another Melbourne marathon, another reminder of what this court has meant to Novak Djokovic.

Historic win sets up blockbuster final

After an epic five-set battle, Novak Djokovic has defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner in an absolute classic at the Australian Open semi-final. Djokovic’s gritty comeback keeps his dream of a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title alive and sends him through to the final.

For a full breakdown of all the drama, momentum swings, and key moments from this marathon clash, check out our match report here:

Australian Open semi-final match report: Ageless Djokovic does the unthinkable, outlasts Sinner to keep No. 25 dream alive

Another number. Another Djokovic moment.

With this win, Novak Djokovic becomes the player with the most top-10 wins at a single Grand Slam since ATP rankings began in 1973 — 20 at the Australian Open. That pulls him level with Rafael Nadal’s mark at French Open.

After four-plus hours, a fifth set, and a body pushed to the edge, this somehow feels fitting.

Questioned. Tested. Written off by some.

Still standing. Still delivering. Still setting records.

Extraterrestrial stuff.

Five times, Jannik Sinner had gotten the better of Novak Djokovic.

People questioned it. Asked if he still had it. Wondered if time had finally caught up.

And yet — here he is.

Standing tall. Gritty as ever. Emptying the tank one last time and reminding everyone why he’s still in this conversation. Why, in moments like these, he defines greatness.

The emotions spill out. The chants for the Serb go wild around the stadium. Djokovic soaks it all in because he knows exactly what this means — not just a win, but a statement.

Count him out at your own risk.

Jannik Sinner shows nerves of steel of his own. It’s almost diabolical how he keeps hanging on, dragging the 10th game of the fifth set all the way to deuce. Novak Djokovic throws everything at him, but Sinner refuses to go away.

Then comes the slip.

At the moment composure matters most, Sinner fumbles and hands Djokovic the advantage.

Pin-drop silence. Djokovic steps up to serve for the match, goes for it — and clips the net. One more chance. This time he slows it right down, plays it safe, and waits. Sinner blinks, misfires, and that’s it.

Djokovic gets the win.

Four-plus hours. No margin for error. Absolute fifth-set madness.

Sinner: 6, 3, 6, 4, 4

Djokovic: 3, 6, 4, 6, 6

Jannik Sinner is not fazed by the wall of Australian support behind Novak Djokovic.

He keeps digging in, holds his nerve, and edges closer to levelling things up. The match has now crossed the four-hour mark, and there’s still barely anything separating the two.

Same court. Same fight. Pure fifth-set drama.

Sinner: 6, 3, 6, 4, 4

Djokovic: 3, 6, 4, 6, 5

Just when it feels like Novak Djokovic is about to run away with it, Jannik Sinner digs in and refuses to go quietly.

Sinner pushes Djokovic right to the edge, carving out a break chance and dragging the game into deuce. Suddenly, the pressure flips. Djokovic is back where he’s been all night — needing to save a break with everything on the line.

And somehow, some way, he does. Not just once, but and then some.

Big serves. Smart choices. Ice-cold nerves.

The crowd realises what’s happening and completely loses it. Djokovic holds, and now he’s just one game away from a historic final. The drama here is off the charts.

Sinner: 6, 3, 6, 4, 3

Djokovic: 3, 6, 4, 6, 5

Absolute class from Novak Djokovic.

With everything on the line, he shows nerves of steel to carve out a break point, putting himself one step closer to turning this match around. The pressure is starting to tell now, and even if Jannik Sinner isn’t showing much on his face, the tension is clearly there.

That long forehand from Sinner sums it up — a rare miss at the worst possible moment, and Djokovic is suddenly right on the doorstep.

Sinner: 6, 3, 6, 4, 3

Djokovic: 3, 6, 4, 6, 4

There’s still nothing separating these two.

Novak Djokovic, under pressure once again, turns to the serve and fires down two back-to-back aces to breeze through his service game. No fuss, no drama — just pure execution.

Game secured, point made. This fifth set remains on a knife edge.

Sinner: 6, 3, 6, 4, 3

Djokovic: 3, 6, 4, 6, 3

The ace barrage continues from Jannik Sinner.

He blasts through his service game, barely giving Novak Djokovic a look in, and races past the fifth game to regain the lead in the decider.

Quick, ruthless, and efficient — Sinner keeping the pressure right where he wants it.

Sinner: 6, 3, 6, 4, 3

Djokovic: 3, 6, 4, 6, 2