Novak Djokovic did not need to play to enter the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
The Serbian legend – who is playing the Happy Slam for the 21st time in his extraordinary career – was able to benefit from the withdrawal of young Czech star Jakub Mensik, who had to give up due to injury.
This allowed the former world No.1 to get to the final stages of this tournament without wasting too much energy, as Nole hasn't dropped a set so far and his shape looked really brilliant.
It's no secret that the 24-time Grand Slam champion has been working hard throughout the pre-season and has a very special feel for this tournament, considering that he has lifted the trophy at Melbourne Park on ten occasions.
The last time Djokovic beat Sinner was in 2023
The 38-year-old from Belgrade will face Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday for a place in the semifinals, where there could be a new chapter in his rivalry with Jannik Sinner.
The last time Novak beat the Italian champion was in the final of the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, before the star from Sesto Pusteria overturned the inertia of this rivalry. Djokovic is perfectly aware that he has to be at the top of his shape in order to have a chance against a rival who is much younger than him and who has not lost in this tournament since the 2023 edition.
Through a post on Instagram, top coach Patrick Mouratoglou – who has always had enormous respect for Nole – discussed the latter's chances of achieving another legendary feat: “For me, Novak cannot compete with Jannik unless here (mentally) he wants it really, really, really badly, and it’s a big goal for him to win his 25th Grand Slam and I don’t feel that.
I don’t hear it. I don’t hear that for him it’s so important. I’m hearing that he’s happy to continue playing because of his love for tennis, because of the adrenaline. But not because he wants this 25th Grand Slam more than anything else. When he wanted the Olympic Games, he played at a different level than the rest of the season. He’s really like this, Novak.
