Novak Djokovic has won a record 10 Australian Open singles titles (4 of the last 5 years) and 33 straight matches in Melbourne Park, yet 2024 may be the year that the remarkable streak comes to an end. The most fascinating part is that the run would end with a player not named Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer.
The 36-year-old Serbian tennis star is in the semifinals of the Australian Open as the heavy favorite alongside Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev is the only other player left in the draw that has won a Grand Slam, beating Djokovic in the 2021 U.S. Open final.
There are numerous reasons Djokovic is in an extra vulnerable stage of the Australian Open semis — none of which have to do with his age but more because of the level the players left in the draw are playing at.
No. 4 Jannik Sinner (Italy)
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First, he must get past Sinner, who is playing the best tennis of his life. The 22-year-old Italian has yet to drop a set, winning each match thus far quite convincingly. En route to the semis, he took down world No. 5 Andrey Rublev in straight sets. Djokovic leads the duo's head-to-head 4-2, however, Sinner won their last meeting in November 2023.
Sinner is an aggressive baseliner with heavy groundstrokes and can rip his forehand. What makes him stand out from the pack is how calm and collected he is, regardless of the situation. He particularly stands out from the players left in the Australian Open in this regard.
While Djokovic has never lost a semifinal at the Australian Open, Sinner can certainly change that with the way he is playing and the confidence he has Down Under.
"This is what I practice for to play against the best players in the world," Sinner said after his quarterfinals win. "Obviously has an incredible record here, so for me, it's a pleasure to play against him, especially in the final stages of the tournament where things are a little bit more interesting."
Medvedev and Zverev are on the other side of the draw and the winner will face the winner of Djokovic-Sinner in the Australian Open final.
What makes this match up so intriguing is not only the phenomenal tennis these two have been playing, but other controversies these players have been dealing with over the past two weeks.
No. 6 Alexander Zverev (Germany)
At the start of the Australian Open, news about Zverev's court date being set in May came to light over an assault allegation dating back to 2020. The news came as Zverev challenged a penalty order issued by a judge.
Even though Zverev has not answered questions about his legal matters throughout the tournament, it has been on many peoples' minds, especially as he keeps winning. The ATP has remained silent on the issue and other players on tour have declined to share thoughts.
Outside of the case, Zverev is playing high-level tennis, having defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. It is almost as if being on the tennis court is bringing calmness amid all that is going on -- pushing him to play his best tennis.
Zverev's best Grand Slam result to date is reaching the finals of the 2020 U.S. Open. If he were to face Djokovic in the Australian Open final this year, he could knock him out.
No. 3 Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
The Australian Open implemented a new schedule format at the beginning of the tournament to prevent late night matches from happening. That didn't stop Medvedev from wrapping up his second round match until almost 4 a.m. local time on Friday and having to recover quickly for his third third match on Saturday.
Nonetheless, Medvedev is still playing well. What makes his game extra tricky is his ability to stay in every match no matter what the score to the point where it aggravates his opponents.
If it were to be a Djokovic-Medvedev final, it would definitely be a battle.
When does Novak Djokovic play Jannik Sinner?
The first serve is set for Thursday, Jan. 25 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
Novak Djokovic vs. Jannik Sinner prediction
While this match could go either way based on the better player that day, our prediction is a Djokovic five-set win.
