Jannik Sinner, his great present and why he is the great threat of the Djokovic era at the Australian Open

The king of the track Melbourne against one of the few players to win a match in six months: the Australian Open offers this Thursday evening (at 00:30, after midnight, on ESPN and Star+) a stellar semi-final between Novak Djokovictwo wins away from an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, and Jannik Sinner (4 in the world).

The other semi-final will then face the number 3 in the ranking, Daniel Medvedevbefore sixth place in that ranking, the German Alexander Zverev.

It’s difficult to explain it better than Radek Stepanek, former Czech player: at Rod Laver Arena, “Novak (Djokovic) is in his living room. Is it your house. “It’s like home.”

All you have to do is look at the numbers to show the evidence. Djokovic he won the title ten times in Melbourne. They have not lost there since 2018 and have won the title in four of the last five editions. The only exception: 2022, the year of his bizarre expulsion from Australia for not having been vaccinated against covid-19.

And when ‘Nole’ reaches the semi-finals in Australia the trophy systematically ends up in his hands.

Therefore, it is presumed difficult to discern the name of who can deprive him of the 25th Slam title, when he is only two matches away from achieving it.

She currently shares the all-time crowning record in ‘Big’ with Australian Margaret Court.

Sinner, an uncomfortable obstacle for Nole

But his latest rival on the way to the final is precisely the only player to have left Wimbledon in the dust until the end of 2023. And on two occasions; on November 13, in the group stage of Masters (7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/2)), and on November 25 at Davis Cup (6-2, 2-6, 7-5). Between the two, the young Italian lost the final of the Masters (6-3, 6-3), although another victory should be added, in this case in Davis’ doubles which meant the elimination of Serbia at the hands of ‘Italy.

The difference is that tonight in Melbourne he will have to win three sets and not two against the best in history.

Djokovic “has demonstrated on every court in the world what an immense player he is”, says one of Sinner’s coaches. Simone Vagnozzi. “It’s one of the toughest challenges in tennis.”

But Sinner is no longer the same player who lost in three sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in his first ‘Big’ semi-final, at Wimbledon, last season, against Djokovic.

Since then his first title at the Masters 1000 (Toronto), titles in Beijing and Vienna, plus two victories in the space of ten days against ‘Djoko’ in November. And a fact about his current state: the Italian hasn’t given up a single set in this edition in Australia.

Sinner, with great confidence

“His excellent results in the last six months allow Jannik to enter the track with more confidence. This time he can believe more in a victory”, considers Vagnozzi.

“It’s a pleasure to deal with it,” Sinner says. Especially in the later stages, where things get interesting. I am anxious. “This is what I train for, to play against the best players in the world.”

“He only played three sets (also against Rublev and Khachanov), he didn’t spend too much energy, his tank is still full,” Stepanek estimates of the young Italian.

On the other hand, Djokovic is not experiencing his calmest Australian fortnight. Three times out of five he dropped a set back, and his previous match had lasted 3 hours and 48 minutes, and another, in the first round, had lasted more than four hours.

“The interesting thing is that even if he doesn’t play well, he wins,” says former Swedish player Thomas Johansson.