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Carlos Alcaraz had a defiant message for those who “didn’t believe” in him and who thought he would “not even make it past the quarter-finals” at the 2026 Australian Open after his triumph in Melbourne.

The Spanish superstar prevailed 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 against the legendary Novak Djokovic, who is currently ranked fourth, in an Australian Open title match that lasted three hours and five minutes.

By securing his first-ever Australian Open crown, Alcaraz — who is 22 — became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam in the Open Era.

In an interview with Eurosport Spain, Alcaraz was asked about tennis analysts and fans who doubted his Australian Open chances after his split with former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero in December.

The world No 1 did not hold back as he called out those who thought he would fail to perform in Melbourne.

“To be honest, I’m remembering all the people who said I wouldn’t make it, who thought I’d come here to Australia and not even make it past the quarter-finals. That I’d come here to Australia and not play any good tennis. Those who didn’t believe in me. I remember those people, honestly,” asserted Alcaraz.

“It seems ironic that when I’m supposed to be thinking about my people, my team, all the work we’ve put in… in the end, that’s the thought that came to me now.

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“And I didn’t come here to tell anyone I’m capable, but simply with a lot of enthusiasm, eager to prove to myself that I can overcome problems, that I’m mentally strong, that I came here with the hope of having done a good job, and that’s what I should take away from it.

“But if you ask me, that’s the first thing that came to mind.”

The seven-time Grand Slam champion also spoke about winning the final in the presence of his idol and compatriot Rafael Nadal, who was watching from the front row in Rod Laver Arena.

“With Rafa there watching from the stands, it’s a wonderful moment, a very special moment for me to be able to see Rafa come,” Alcaraz said.

“Whatever his reason for coming — we knew he had things to do here — the fact that he showed up and was here for the final means so much to me. It makes this moment even more beautiful and special.

“But not only Rafa, but all the people who have been getting up at 3 in the morning during these weeks, who have been there, on the front lines, from a distance, cheering and giving their all, and I truly thank from the bottom of my heart all those people who, from home, those who have come here, but also those who have stayed there, all the support and encouragement that allowed me to achieve this victory.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open prize money & ranking points revealed

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Novak Djokovic suggested a physical issue may have played a decisive role in his defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final, as he insisted he is ready to fight on in his quest to win a 25th Grand Slam title.

After his stunning win against defending champion Jannik Sinner on Friday, Djokovic stormed through the first set against Alcaraz and appeared to be on course to collect the title that would have left him with the most majors in tennis history.

He is currently tied on 24 Grand Slam wins with Australian great Margaret Court, but he is ahead of his nearest rival, Rafael Nadal, on the list of male Grand Slam winners by two titles.

That 25th title continues to elude him, with this match against Alcaraz the closest he has go to achieving his goal as he got to within two sets of glory before losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

While he did not suggest he was suffering with an injury against Alcaraz, Djokovic admitted he was hit by a dip in energy in the second set that affected his hopes.

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“I remain disappointed with the way I felt in second and third after an incredible start, and I felt great about myself and then, yeah, things changed,” said Djokovic.

“It is what it is. That’s sport, but of course, when you draw a line and you make, you know, an assessment of what happened the last couple of weeks, it’s an incredible achievement for me to be able to play finals, be a couple of sets away to win a championship.

“Of course, after a loss, it’s a bitter feeling, but nevertheless, I have to be, yeah, content with this result.”

When pressed to explain what he meant and whether he had an injury issue, he added: “I mean, look, I never like to talk about things that, you know, I go through physically or health-wise, because it’s going to come across as I’m looking for excuses and taking away the credit of the winner, so it’s not going to change this time.

“I’m just going to congratulate Carlos. He was the deserved winner on the court today. No, I’m not going to share.

“Game-wise, you saw it. I mean, for the first set was one of the best sets I’ve played the last couple of years. Then, you know, I kind of regained my energy back and momentum in mid-fourth.”

Djokovic has suffered from mid-match dips in energy in recent years, but he was often able to find a second a third wind that drove him on to glory.

Those bursts of renewed energy do not seem to be forthcoming at this latter stage of his career and amid his disappointment, he was encouraged by his run to the final.

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“I have belief, and I have always, you know, confidence and vision to win a Slam, another Slam anywhere, to win anywhere where I play, but I did not expect it. That’s different,” he stated.

“Expectations, I lowered my expectations last couple of years, which also, I think, allows me to be able to, you know, let go of some of that unnecessary additional stress. You know, it’s always tension and stress and pressure, and I just don’t want to be overwhelmed by it.

“It also feels good a little bit not being always the main favourite to win Slams. I think that kind of gives you a little bit of that extra motivation, I guess, when it comes down to the last rounds of the Slam.

“Yeah, I mean, look, I managed to beat Jannik, who is double defending champion here and won the last whatever, four, five matches against me, in five sets, very proud of that. Incredible match, incredible achievement.

“But, you know, you’re speaking to me ten minutes after I lost the final, so of course I’m going to be a little bit bitter about losing. But, again, I lost to a No 1 in the world and already a legendary player.”

READ NEXT: Youngest men to complete Career Grand Slam in Open Era: Alcaraz beats Federer, Djokovic, Nadal

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Tennis legend Boris Becker thinks Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph at the 2026 Australian Open has proven that the world No 1 made the right decision to part ways with his former coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Alcaraz defeated 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 in the final on Rod Laver Arena to secure his maiden Australian Open crown and seventh Grand Slam overall.

At the age of 22, Alcaraz’s victory saw him become the youngest male player to complete a career Grand Slam in the Open Era, breaking Rafael Nadal’s record.

During the off-season, Alcaraz made the surprise announcement that he had parted ways with Ferrero, who he had been coached by since 2018, when he was 16 years old.

Samuel Lopez, who coaches at Ferrero’s academy, took the reins as Alcaraz’s main coach, having joined the team in December 2024. Prior to this, Lopez had already coached Alcaraz at tournaments Ferrero did not attend in 2022 and 2023.

The Australian Open was Alcaraz’s first tournament since the split with Ferrero, and it is the first title he has won without the former world No 1 in his team.

Speaking to Eurosport Germany, Becker lauded Alcaraz after his triumph in Melbourne.

“Huge respect, a really strong performance from Alcaraz,” said the six-time Grand Slam champion.

“It didn’t look like it at the start, because Djokovic played a sensational first set. The longer the match went on, the more you got the feeling that Alcaraz was feeling comfortable.

“The long rallies at the end, when he stood up to his opponent, made it clear to me that Novak’s time was slowly running out on this day.

“It was a difficult decision for Team Alcaraz to part ways with the successful duo of Alcaraz and Juan Carlos Ferrero. But after 14 days, we know that the decision was the right one. The journey continues, and he has the tennis world at his feet.

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“He is a very likeable player. The semi-final against Alexander Zverev was hard-fought, but today he was simply outstanding.”

Former world No 4 Tim Henman gave his reaction to Alcaraz’s win on TNT Sports.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal when you take into consideration the greats of the games who took so long to achieve it,” Henman said.

“When you reflect he won his first Slam in New York in 2022 and he’s just gone from strength to strength, proving he can play on every surface.

“But it’s the way he’s gone about it, his personality and charisma on and off the court. It’s how we were wanting the next generation to come through after [Roger] Federer, [Rafael] Nadal and Djokovic… let’s not forget Jannik Sinner, but the way Alcaraz has come through to win his seventh Grand Slam and first Australian Open is truly remarkable.

“He’s a performer, he’s out on stage and wants to show off his skillset, and he’s got so many skills. His ability and winning these big titles, it was fitting the Rafa was in the crowd.”

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READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open runner-up speech: Warm messages to Nadal & Alcaraz; and a retirement hint?

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Carlos Alcaraz claimed his seventh Grand Slam title as he became the youngest player of all-time to win all four Grand Slams with his victory against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and now former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has predicted how many major title the Spanish great will win.

Alcaraz’s four set win against Djokovic ended the Serbian’s hopes of winning a 25th Grand Slam title and Rusedski suggests the world No 1 will not be ‘favourite for every Grand Slam’ after his victory in Melbourne.

Speaking on the latest episode of his Off Court Cuts show, Rusedski predicted Alcaraz is now on course to win in excess of 20 Grand Slam titles, as he eyes up a shot at record holder Djokovic in a career that has already put him among the all-time greats of the game at the tender age of 22.

“If he gets another one or two this year, he’s at eight or nine. you know, he’s going to be the favourite for every Slam he plays,” said Rusedski.

“He’s the No 1 player on the planet. We were all panicked about what’s going to happen with Juan Carlos Ferrero. Well, no more questions needed to be asked.

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“He’s won his first Australian Open seventh major, something he’s never done before. He’d never been in an Australian Open final before. He’d never won one.

“So he’s going from strength to strength. It’s been a fantastic Australian Open and start to the year for him. So I don’t see why there’s any reason, if he stays healthy, why he cannot get to 20. To get beyond 20 plus, that’s a different beast.

“Health is your wealth. You have to be healthy and you have to be dominant over usually a 10 year period to achieve those things.”

Rusedski also suggested the questions marks over his split with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero have been answered in the grand manner with his sparkling win in Melbourne under lead coach Sami Lopez.

“When you have sometimes a really big name coach, they take the spotlight away from you, but they also are very strong minded and he’s getting the balance right,” added Rusedski

“And it was very interesting in the match [against Djokovic] as well, because when he played those drop shots and those angles and then play the magical point, it was almost like he got more energy and more joy. And that’s the balance with coaching.

“You want to keep the creativity in there, but you also want to keep the solidness at times. And I think Sammy Lopez, let’s give him credit. He is the coach now. He’s done a fantastic job as being the only coach on the team at the moment and well done to Carlos.”

Rusedski went on to identify the moment Alcaraz broke Djokovic in the Australian Open final, as he suggested the swing in momentum after the Serbian won the first set was crucial.

“You felt that Carlos got that second set and Djokovic started looking a little bit tired, which is normal at 38 years of age,” he added.

“Tried to stage a comeback in that fourth set, but Carlos just didn’t relent to finish it off 7-5 in the fourth set. And it’s these small margins. If you’re a Djokovic fan, there’s hope. As you say, he’s improved his game. His serve needed to be slightly better today, even though he served very well.”

READ NEXT: The youngest Australian Open men’s champions: Where does Alcaraz rank as he joins Djokovic & Sinner?

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Aryna Sabalenka says he could have been a bit ‘more aggressive’ with her serve whilst she was up a break in the deciding set during her loss against Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final.

The Belarusian was seeking her third Melbourne title in the last four years, after having fallen at the same stage to Madison Keys in 2025.

However, it was Rybakina who prevailed 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to collect her second major trophy and further close the head-to-head with Sabalenka to 8-7 in the latter’s favour.

The Kazakh got off to a flying start by breaking in a crucial opening game, with the world No 1 unable to break back.

However, after the slow start, Sabalenka held serve for 11 consecutive service games to go up 3-0 in the third.

That is where the good fortune would end as Rybakina stormed back to break her opponent in her two subsequent games, before serving it out on the first time of asking.

“I think it was, like, really aggressive tennis overall the whole match, and I feel like in that moment she kind of like had nothing to lose, so she stepped in and she played incredible points,” remarked Sabalenka during her post-match press conference.

“She was serving, so it was just one break. Probably I should – I mean, I don’t know if I have any regrets.

“Maybe I should have tried to be more aggressive on my serve, knowing that I have a break and put pressure on her, but she played incredible.

“She made some winners. I made a couple of unforced errors. Of course, I have regrets.

“ You know, when you lead 3-Love, and then it felt like in a few seconds it was 3-4, and I was down with a break. So it was very fast.

“Great tennis from her. Maybe not so smart for me, but as I say, today I’m a loser, maybe tomorrow I’m a winner, maybe again a loser. Hopefully not. Let’s see.”

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Despite Sabalenka’s Grand Slam success, she has been on the losing end of three of her last four Grand Slam finals.

Last season, after her loss to Keys in Melbourne, she was defeated by Coco Gauff in a three-set battle at the French Open.

Nearly every statistic ended identically for Rybakina and Sabalenka, with the only material difference being the Belarusian’s disappointing break point conversion of two out of her eight opportunities.

The two-time Grand Slam champion was only slightly ahead with three out of her eight.

“No, I feel like, yeah, overall it was much better than last year, two finals I lost,” Sabalenka anaysed.

“Level-wise and decision that I was making and the way that the mentality was throughout the whole match that I was still there, I was ready to fight, I knew that she’s not going to give it easily to me.

“So I think overall I made huge improvement on that, and I still lost it. But it’s okay. I feel like I’m moving towards the right direction.”

Sabalenka will next play at the WTA 1000 event in Doha from February8 – 14, which she last won in 2020.

“Right now I don’t want to think about tennis, but my ambitions are still the same,” Sabalenka said.

“Keep fighting, keep working hard, keep putting myself out there, and try my best if I’ll have another chance in the final.”

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Only five men have managed to complete the Career Grand Slam in men’s tennis in the Open Era, and Carlos Alcaraz is looking to make it a six-man club while he is also aiming to head to the top of said list in terms of the youngest man to achieve the feat.

As things stand, Rod Laver was the first to secure the historic achievement and to date, he is also the only man to actually secure the Career Grand Slam in one season as he completed the Calendar Grand Slam in 1969.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal holds the record as the youngest, but it is in danger as the 22-year-old Alcaraz is one win Australian Open match win away from beating him by two years.

If you were wondering, Steffi Graf holds the record for the youngest player – man or woman – to win a Career Grand Slam as she was just 19 when she completed the feat in 1988 while she also won gold at the Olympics that year to claim an illustrious Golden Slam.

Ages Of Men To Complete Career Grand Slam In Open Era

Rod Laver – 31 (1969)

The all-time great first completed the Calendar Slam and thus the Career Grand Slam in 1964, but that was four years before the sport turned professional, so it doesn’t count towards Open Era records.

But he only went and completed it a second time in 1969 as he beat Andres Gimeno in the Australian Open final, Ken Rosewall at Roland Garros, John Newcombe at Wimbledon and Tony Roche at the US Open.

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He completed the feat one month after he turned 31 as he was born on August 8, 1983 while the US Open final was held on September 9, 1969.

Andre Agassi – 29 (1999)

It would take another three decades before another player would join the list with American Agassi becoming the second man to win all four majors.

Having won Wimbledon in 1992, the US Open two years later and the Australian Open in 1995, Agassi was just a French Open crown away from emulating Laver and he did so at Roland Garros in 1999.

Just over two months after celebrating his 29th birthday (April 29), he defeated Andrei Medvedev in the final in Paris.

Novak Djokovic – 29 (2016)

Djokovic is the only man to have won three Career Grand Slams, but the first arrived at Roland Garros in 2016. At that points, he was already a six-time Australian Open champion, won Wimbledon three times and the US Open twice.

The Serbian turned 29 on May 22 and on June 5 he beat Andy Murray in the final in Paris.

Career Grand Slam No 2 came in 2021 when he won his second French Open crown and two years later he made it three with another title at Roland Garros.

Roger Federer – 27 (2009)

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again was Federer’s mantra as he had lost three consecutive French Open finals against Nadal before he finally got the job done.

Federer had already won three Australian Open titles, five in a row at Wimbledon and five consecutive US Open titles when he arrived at the French Open in 2009.

Many would have predicted another Federer-Nadal final with the latter the overwhelming favourite to win yet again, but the Swiss received an unexpected boost when his rival was stunned by Robin Soderling in the fourth round.

Swede Soderling went on to reach the final and Federer beat him in straight sets to claim the Career Grand Slam.

Rafael Nadal – 24 (2010)

The King of Clay completed his Career Grand Slam at the US Open as at that point he had five Roland Garros titles (including in 2010), one Australian Open crown (2009) and two Wimbledon trophies (2008 and 2010).

Playing in the Flushing Meadows final for the first time, the Spaniard beat Djokovic in four sets to win the US Open for the first time and complete the feat at the age of 24.

He won a second Career Grand Slam in 2022 when he won his second Australian Open crown.

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Elena Rybakina claimed her team had “a lot going on” as she appeared to allude to controversy surrounding coach Stefano Vukov following her Australian Open triumph.

World No 5 Rybakina captured her second Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne on Saturday, battling past world No 1 and title favourite Aryna Sabalenka in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 triumph inside the Rod Laver Arena.

Victory for the Kazakh saw her end her wait for a second major title, three and a half years after her Wimbledon triumph in 2022, and will see her return to her career-high of world No 3 in the WTA Rankings.

Among those recognised during the trophy ceremony on Saturday night was Rybakina’s coach, Vukov, with the Croatian having also coached the Kazakh to her Wimbledon triumph three years.

As part of a new tradition at the Australian Open, the coach of both the women’s and men’s singles champions will receive a trophy on court.

However, Vukov’s presence in the 26-year-old’s team remains a significant controversy, with the Croatian having been suspended for six months in 2025.

Vukov was provisionally suspended for allegedly breaking the WTA Tour’s Code of Conduct in January 2025, the news emerging after he had returned to Rybakina’s team following a brief split.

He was barred from entering the Australian Open site in 2025 during his provisional suspension, and a year-long ban was then confirmed in February 2025.

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Vukov returned to Rybakina’s on-site entourage in August 2025 after successfully appealing his ban, though he had remained working with the Kazakh outside of tournaments.

The Kazakh’s form has notably improved since the return of Vukov, winning the Ningbo Open and WTA Finals towards the end of 2025, before her triumph in Melbourne on Saturday.

Rybakina has always claimed that Vukov “never mistreated” her, and then claimed after reaching the Australian Open final that his return had been a “big help” for her game.

And, during her champion’s speech inside the Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, she appeared to allude to the controversy when thanking her team.

She said: “I would like to say thank you to my team. Without you, it wouldn’t be possible, really.

“We had a lot of things going on, and I’m really glad we achieved this result. Thank you to all of you, and hopefully we can keep going strong this year.”

Vukov’s presence in Rybakina’s entourage remains controversial for some, but victory in Melbourne most likely cements his place in her team for the foreseeable future.

The Kazakh is now the reigning champion at two of the five biggest tournaments in tennis and, with a return to her career-high ranking set for next Monday, appears to be playing some of the best tennis of her career.

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Elena Rybakina has successfully captured her first Australian Open title, battling past Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling three-set battle to lift the title in Melbourne.

A 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory for fifth seed Rybakina sees her capture her second Grand Slam title, following her Wimbledon triumph in 2022, while two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka has now lost in the final for the past two years.

Here, we look at the prize money and ranking points that both women will take home after their women’s singles final on Saturday night.

What ranking points did Sabalenka and Rybakina earn?

As one of the four Grand Slam events, a significant amount of ranking points were on offer at this year’s Australian Open.

Heading into the tournament, Sabalenka was guaranteed to remain as the world No 1 regardless of the result, though world No 5 Rybakina had the chance to move further up the WTA Rankings.

For lifting the title in Melbourne, Rybakina takes home a staggering 2,000 ranking points after Saturday’s triumph.

Having lost in the fourth round twelve months ago, the Kazakh will move to 7,610 points when the WTA Rankings update next Monday and will return to her career-high of world No 3, overtaking Amanda Anisimova and Coco Gauff.

She will be just 368 points behind world No 2 Iga Swiatek, potentially putting herself in striking distance of a new career high this spring.

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Meanwhile, for finishing as the runner-up at the tournament, Sabalenka will take home a not-insignificant 1,300 points for her WTA ranking.

That sees the world No 1 remain on 10,990 points in the WTA Rankings, though — despite defeat on Saturday — her lead at the top has increased after Swiatek’s quarter-final exit.

What prize money did Sabalenka and Rybakina earn?

Record prize money for this year’s Australian Open was announced ahead of the tournament, and both women will take home significant winnings from the event.

For lifting the title, Rybakina will take home a staggering A$4,150,000, up from the A$3,500,000 awarded to Madison Keys for her women’s singles triumph in 2025.

Rybakina’s prize money is the approximate equivalent of US$2,888,400 or £2,110.336.

Meanwhile, Sabalenka will take home A$2,150,000 for her run to a fourth straight final in Melbourne, up from the A$1,900,000 won by the world No 1 for her runner-up finish twelve months ago.

The Belarusian’s 2026 runner-up prize money is the approximate equivalent of US$1,496,400 or £1,093,307.

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Emma Raducanu has been handed a kind draw at her first post-Australian Open tournament as all the players who are with her in the top half of the draw at the Transylvania Open are outside the top 40 in the rankings.

World No 29 Raducanu made an early exit from the season-opening Grand Slam as she was beaten in straight sets by Anastasia Potapova, but there is good news as she will avoid the world No 55 up until the semi-finals, should she get that far.

The British No 1 will take on world No 153 Greet Minnen in what will be their first WTA-level encounter, although they have met before at an ITF tournament.

Minnen, who peaked at No 53 in the WTA Rankings in 2023, didn’t play at the Australian Open as she lost in the third round of qualifying and her last WTA Tour event was in October 2025 at the Japan Open where she also lost in the qualifiers.

Raducanu, meanwhile, is 2-3 for the 2026 season after she lost her only encounter at the United Cup before losing in the second round in Hobart and the second round at Melbourne Park.

The WTA 250 event in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, will also be Raducanu’s first tournament she announced her split from Francisco Roig.

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The winner of the Raducanu-Minnen encounter will face Romanian wildcard and world No 303 Elena Bertea or world No 100 Juvan in the second round while seventh seed and world No 69 Olga Danilovic is a projected quarter-final opponent.

After Raducanu, world No 46 Wang is the next highgest-ranked player in the top half and she is projected to meet eighth seed Anna Bondar in the quarter-final.

If the seedings hold, then Raducanu will face Wang in the quarter-final.

World No 35 Jaqueline Cristian headlines the bottom half of the draw and the second seed kicks off her campaign against Camila Osorio from Colombia while sixth seed Antonia Ružic is as probable quarter-final opponent, should both players reach that stage.

Third seed Sorana Cirstea starts off against Kamilla Rakhimova and she is projected to meet Potapova in the quarter-final.

However, Potapova faces Lucia Bronzetti in her opener and there is a possible banana skin in her path as she could meet former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova, fresh from reaching the last 32 at the Australian Open, in the second round.

Projected Cluj-Napoca Quarter-Final

Emma Raducanu v Olga Danilovic
Wang Xinyu v Anna Bondar
Anastasia Potapova v Sorana Cirstea
Antonia Ruzic v Jaqueline Cristian

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Jannik Sinner says that this loss against Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the Australian Open ‘hurts a lot’ and that he ‘wasn’t surprised’ at the result.

Heading into the encounter, the Italian had won his last five matches against the Serb, including collecting 10 consecutive sets.

However, it was Djokovic who battled back to be victorious 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a four-hour Melbourne night session.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion ended Sinner’s hopes of winning the title for a third year in a row and broke the world No 2’s 20-match winning streak.

“[It hurts] a lot,” admitted the world No 2 during his post-match press conference.

“It was a very important Slam for me, knowing also the background, it can happen.

“It was a good match from both of us. I had many chances, couldn’t use them, and that’s the outcome. It hurts for sure.”

One of the stats which Sinner may most regret is his inability to utilise his break points, with Djokovic saving 16 out of the 18 that he faced.

“I had my chances in the fifth set. Many break points, I couldn’t use them,” he added.

“He came up with some great shots.

“I decided a couple of different things. Today they didn’t work, but that’s how tennis is.

“I felt like also the first set was a great level from both of us. It was a bit [like] a roller coaster, and it happened like it happened today.”

“Most of the time, he served very well, I was in the rallies a couple of times, I missed the shots, and it can happen.”

For Djokovic, Sunday will mark his first Grand Slam final since Wimbledon in 2024 and a prime opportunity to claim a 25^th Grand Slam title.

If he were successful in doing so, he would become the first player – male of female – to win 25 Grand Slams.

Additionally, he would overtake Ken Rosewall as the oldest player to win a singles Grand Slam.

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Given the recent head-to-head and taking into account the Serb’s age, many had written off Djokovic’s chances of claiming a last-four victory.

However, Sinner – on the other hand – was ‘not surprised’ and will take the loss as a ‘lesson.’

“He’s won 24 Grand Slams,” the world No 2 remarked during his post-match press conference.

“We know each other very well, how we play. I’m not surprised because I feel like he’s been 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 [Alcaraz], and everyone.

“There is this small, extra motivation, and he played great tennis.

“Hopefully, I can take it as a lesson to see what I can improve on.”

Djokovic will now take on world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the final, with the Spaniard looking to become the youngest male singles player to win all four Grand Slams.

Alcaraz prevailed in a five-set thriller against third seed Alexander Zverev, who had held the chance to serve out the match in the decider.

Sinner and the Spaniard contested the last three Grand Slam finals and had collected the trophy at all of the last eight such events.

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The post Jannik Sinner not ‘surprised’ by Novak Djokovic upset, but admits it ‘hurts a lot’ appeared first on Tennis365.