Novak Djokovic hits back at 'experts' who wanted him to retire as veteran reaches Australian Open final following five-set Jannik Sinner classic
Updated 30/01/2026 at 20:33 GMT
React to this story
Novak Djokovic has hit back at the "tennis experts" who wanted him to retire. After beating Jannik Sinner to reach the Australian Open final, the 24-time Grand Slam winner can now look ahead to a mouth-watering final against world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. Stream every match of the 2026 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+.
'I want to thank everyone who doubted me' - Djokovic proves critics wrong with semi-final win
Video credit: SNTV
Novak Djokovic thanked the "tennis experts" who have doubted him in recent years after he beat Jannik Sinner to book his place in the final of the 2026 Australian Open and move one step closer to an historic 25th Grand Slam triumph.
Djokovic defeated his Italian rival 3-6 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-4 to set up a mouth-watering clash with world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The Serbian tennis star is in the twilight of his career at 38-years-old and his performances earlier in the tournament were called into question after he benefitted from Lorenzo Musetti's injury retirement in the semi-final.
However, Djokovic insists that calls for him to retire have acted as motivation in his bid to win a 25th Grand Slam crown. Â
"Well, I never stopped doubting," he said after securing the victory over Sinner. "I never stopped believing in myself, you know.
"There's a lot of people that doubt me. I see there is a lot of experts all of a sudden that wanted to retire me or have retired me many times the last couple of years.
- As it happened: Djokovic stuns Sinner in thriller
- 'Genius and showman' Alcaraz wows in 'incredible' win
"You know, I want to thank them all because they gave me strength.
"They gave me motivation to prove them wrong, which I have tonight."
Djokovic was fortunate to reach the semi-final against Sinner after Musetti was forced to retire during their encounter in the quarter-finals due to injury.
But the Olympic gold medalist said that it is important to find a way to win, even when you’re not at your best.
"For me, it's not a surprise, to be honest. I know what I'm capable of," said Djokovic.
"So I've had many, many times in my career matches during the Grand Slam where it's just one of those days where you're not feeling your best.
"You try to find a way to win with everything that you possibly have, even though the quality of tennis is not even close to where you want it to be.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/01/30/image-a7cb66f1-3b77-43f3-9049-938524fbf651-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Highlights: Djokovic beats Sinner in thriller to set up Alcaraz final
Video credit: TNT Sports
"So that was the case, you know?
"You know, one thing is to imagine how you want to play and the other thing is to deliver it and execute it on the court against Sinner, that we all know is playing an extremely high level.
"Yeah, I mean, I'm just thrilled to be able to experience something like this tonight.
Sinner was hoping to win a third Australian Open in a row in Melbourne this month after storming to victory in 2024 and 2025.
He said that Djokovic is the best player the sport has seen in "many, many years" after falling to defeat.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/01/30/image-b1bdfe3b-cbc9-4a2f-be4d-e4ab291c6311-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'It hurts' - Sinner reflects on 'rollercoaster' defeat to Djokovic in semi- final
Video credit: SNTV
"I mean, I know he's won 24 Grand Slams," added Sinner. "You know, we know each other very well, how we play.
"I feel like he's the greatest player for many, many years.
"Of course, he's playing less tournaments because of his age and everything, but we also know how important Grand Slams are for me, for him, for Carlos, and everyone.
"You know, there is this small extra motivation, and he played great tennis. Hopefully I can see some, take it kind of as a lesson, maybe to see what I can improve on."
Stream every match of the 2026 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement