Novak Djokovic defeats Jannik Sinner in five-set Australian Open semifinal

Novak Djokovic celebrates his semifinal win over Jannik Sinner on Rod Laver Arena.

Novak Djokovic beat Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Australian Open semifinals. The match lasted four hours and nine minutes and finished past 1:30 a.m. local time.

Djokovic converted three of eight break chances while saving 16 of 18 he faced. Sinner held a two-sets-to-one lead before Djokovic took the final two sets. The result snapped Djokovic's five-match losing streak to Sinner.

Sinner claimed the Australian Open title the past two years. This loss marked his first defeat at the tournament since 2023. He converted only two of 18 break points in the match.

Djokovic advanced to face Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Alcaraz outlasted Alexander Zverev in a five-set semifinal earlier. Djokovic seeks an 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam overall.

Sinner struggled in the long match. His career record in contests over 3 hours 50 minutes stands at 0-9. Djokovic improved to 11-1 in Australian Open finals.

The semifinal highlighted Djokovic's defensive play. He fended off pressure in key moments to secure the win. Sinner fired a backhand wide on match point to hand Djokovic the victory.

Djokovic thrust his arms skyward before collapsing to the court. He returns to a final stage where he owns a perfect record. The 38-year-old became the oldest Open-era semifinalist at Melbourne.

Sinner reached five straight Grand Slam finals before this exit. Djokovic caught breaks earlier with walkovers in the fourth round and quarterfinals. The semifinal upset ranked as the largest in a men's major since 2024.