Novak Djokovic is one victory away from rewriting the history books yet again. The Serbian star advanced to his 11th Australian Open final after taking down two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in a five-set marathon on Rod Laver Arena.
To reach the final Sunday, Djokovic had to dig deep, battling for more than four hours to prevail 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 against his generational rival. The victory didn’t just book his spot in the championship match; it snapped a brutal five-match losing streak to the 24-year-old Italian that stretched back to 2023. That skid included three consecutive Grand Slam semifinal defeats—at the 2024 Australian Open, 2025 Roland Garros, and 2025 Wimbledon—making Friday night’s triumph a defining moment in the 38-year-old’s late career.
“I wouldn’t dare to call it my finest ever, but definitely the finest in the last couple of years,” Djokovic said following the match. “Under the circumstances, in semis against Sinner, who has been playing the best tennis of his life in the last couple of years, particularly here, as a two-time defending champion? It doesn’t get better than this.”
The “Aura” of a King
While Djokovic’s endurance on the court remains a marvel, his mental edge continues to be a focal point for tennis analysts and historians. Despite being the oldest player on the ATP circuit competing at an elite level, Djokovic is still chasing a 25th major title.
His ability to silence doubters was highlighted this week by legendary coach Patrick Mouratoglou. In a recent LinkedIn post, the former coach of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka pushed back against skeptics who believed Djokovic’s reign was over, calling the Serbian “the strongest mental competitor in the history of tennis.”
Mouratoglou pointed to the 2019 Australian Open final as the ultimate example of Djokovic’s psychological dominance. In that match, Djokovic dismantled Rafael Nadal in straight sets (6-3, 6-2, 6-3), despite the Spaniard entering the contest as the favorite.
“I will never forget a final at the Australian Open against Rafael Nadal,” Mouratoglou wrote. “Rafa was jumping, full of energy, doing his rituals. Novak was nowhere to be seen. Then the door opened. Novak entered like a king. The aura.”
Silencing the Doubters
According to Mouratoglou, that match in 2019 was illustrative of a mindset that persists today. He recalled how, during the era when Roger Federer and Nadal dominated the circuit, most top players privately admitted they felt winning a Grand Slam was impossible. Djokovic, however, publicly stated at just 19 years old that he intended to beat them.
While recent results—including the previous struggles against Sinner and a loss to Carlos Alcaraz—had led some to believe the Serbian was finally fading, his strategy of conserving energy for the majors appears to be paying off.
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