Sinner: “Beating Djokovic is one of the toughest challenges in tennis”

Jannik Sinner continues in automatic mode, that is, a convincing victory after dominating his opponent. This time it was Ben Shelton who fought until the end, but currently doesn’t pose a threat to the Italian. The result was 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Australian Open.

Having overcome the obstacle of Shelton, Sinner now looks to his next opponent, none other than Novak Djokovic. The Serbian had one foot out of the Australian Open, but Lorenzo Musetti’s injury while two sets up gives him the chance to redeem himself against the world number two, whom he hasn’t beaten since November 2023.

Speaking about his significant win against Shelton and his upcoming match with Djokovic, Sinner commented in the press conference following his victory, praising Shelton’s progress but especially acknowledging Djokovic’s enduring competitiveness at 38 years old.

Jannik Sinner analyzed his victory over Ben Shelton and praised Novak Djokovic ahead of their semifinal clash at the Australian Open

“It was a very tough match, every time we play against each other. So, I’m very happy with how I managed the situation. Obviously, I’m happy to win in straight sets. But, again, Ben is an incredible player, and every time we face each other, it’s very interesting to watch, so I’m very happy for today.”

Regrets Lorenzo Musetti’s injury

“I was following it, and it was unfortunate for Lorenzo. On the other hand, it’s very challenging to play against Novak, especially in a best-of-five sets match. These are very long matches. So, I hope it’s not too serious for Lorenzo because starting the season with an injury is also not easy. At the same time, it’s going to be a tough match against Djokovic. We know each other quite well, so it will be interesting to see how we handle the situation.”

On the court conditions change between day and night matches

“It’s different. During the day, it also depends on the temperature because if it’s very hot, the ball bounces more. It’s livelier. At night, it’s a bit different. Today, there was also some wind, and this also alters things.”

“But, well, it’s more about synchronization, when you go to sleep, when you wake up, it’s different. You don’t wake up at the same time when you play day sessions. You go to sleep a bit later and wake up later. You know, I try to be on the best schedule possible.”

The victory over Djokovic in the 2024 Australian Open semifinals, a turning point in his career

“When you take that step to a Grand Slam final and win against Novak, it does change things a bit. At the same time, you have to do it over and over again. It’s very difficult. Beating Djokovic is one of the biggest challenges in tennis. Many things have changed, but I, personally, always remain the same.”

Regarding the gap between him and Alcaraz and the rest of the circuit

“I can only speak from my perspective, and I’m someone who doesn’t focus on that. I’ve reached the semifinals and had to overcome very tough challenges. Every day and every match, we never take the opponent for granted. We know we have to maximize our potential, and you can’t always display 100%, and that’s fine.”

“I’m someone who lives much in the present moment. The season is long. Many things can change. There are great players rising. Novak is still here, and Zverev is playing great tennis.”

He doesn’t see a drop in Djokovic’s performance due to his age

“The level at which he continues to play, I believe he is the most professional athlete we have here in the locker room. I also try to be as professional as possible. Obviously, he has a lot of experience with himself. You see it on the court, and he knows how to handle every situation in the best way possible.”

“As a 24-year-old, I’m lucky to have someone like him in front of my eyes, and I hope to learn something. I feel that every day, every time he plays, I can learn something from him, from Carlos, from all the other great players. I take it as a positive thing. I think the way he plays, the way he moves, if you are not professional, you don’t play at this level. He is an inspiration for all of us, especially for the young players.”

He sees significant progress in Ben Shelton’s game

“Honestly, he improves every time I play against him because he’s serving better, changing his serve a lot, the backhand has improved, as we saw today. He’s trying to be very, very aggressive. There are moments when he changes a bit more and then moments where he changes a bit less, but it also depends on how you feel on that day.”

“I think we will see a great season from him this year. He knows how to handle certain situations. You see that he changed his mentality a bit, and he is very eager to improve as a player. He puts a lot of work into that. He has a great team behind him. I think he will keep improving and become increasingly dangerous,” concludes a Jannik Sinner eagerly anticipating a rematch with Novak Djokovic.
 

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Sinner: “Ganar a Djokovic es uno de los desafíos más difíciles del tenis”