In the early hours of Saturday morning, under the neon glow of a rocking Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic put his money where his mouth is, coming on top of the "difficult" rival, proving it isn't "impossible". Four months shy of his 39th birthday, the Serbian legend outlasted and out-toughed the double-defending champion Jannik Sinner in a 4-hour, 9-minute marathon, winning 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
This wasn't the clinical, robotic Djokovic of 2015; this was a gritty, visceral display of survival. The match reached its peak of drama in the second set. While leading 4-2, a physically distressed Djokovic was seen vomiting over a video board between points. Moments later, he cracked two aces to save his lead.
Despite Sinner firing a career-high 26 aces and 72 winners, Djokovic refused to be bullied. He faced 18 break points throughout the night, miraculously saving 16 of them. In the fifth set, trailing 0-40 at 4-3, Djokovic summoned "the ghost of 2012" to win five straight points and hold serve, ultimately breaking Sinner's spirit.
He had my mobile number, so I had to change my number tonight. Jokes aside... thanks for allowing me at least one. He pushed me to the limit, so he deserves applause
Novak Djokovic on Jannik Sinner
While the semi-final was a masterpiece of effort, Djokovic’s road to the final has been statistically surreal. After a third-round scare, he reached the final four without winning a full set in nearly a week:
Round 4: Walkover against Jakub Mensik (Abdominal injury).
Quarter-final: Advanced after Lorenzo Musetti retired while leading by two sets.
This "silver lining" allowed the 38-year-old to enter the Sinner match with fresh legs- a luxury he lacked in his 2025 campaign where he fell in the semi-finals of all four majors.
The final will pit the oldest man in the Open Era to reach an Australian Open final against the man attempting to become the youngest to complete a career Grand Slam.
Djokovic: Striving for a record-extending 11th Melbourne crown and the elusive 25th Grand Slam title.
Alcaraz: Coming off the longest semi-final in AO history (5h 27m), the 22-year-old represents the "new ocean" Djokovic is trying to hold back.
I told Carlos, ‘I am an old man, I need to go earlier to sleep.’ I hope I have enough gas to stay toe-to-toe with him
Novak Djokovic
