Novak didn't lose — he showed us what greatness looks like

(Getty/Phil Walter)

Just when you thought Novak Djokovic was on his last legs at the final stretch of his long and illustrious career, somehow, someway, he proved the doubters wrong.

To win a major, you need a bit of luck on your side, and fortune definitely favoured the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the 2026 Australian Open — no doubt about it.

In his own words, Djokovic was "on his way home" as he struggled to cope with the craft and variety of Lorenzo Musetti and his scintillating one-handed backhand, trailing two sets to love in the quarter-finals.

Yet, Djokovic was given a lifeline when his Italian opponent withdrew just four games into the third set because of a leg injury.

One round prior, the 38-year-old won via a walkover, meaning he had not won a set of tennis since the third round.

Maybe, just maybe, it was destiny for the man who has owned Melbourne Park for nearly his entire career.

To add further fuel to the fire, Djokovic took offence at a question posed to him after his unexpected win over Musetti, when asked to explain the difference between chasing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for titles compared to chasing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

"I find it a little bit disrespectful that you kind of miss out on what happened in between the times when I started chasing, as you say, Rafa and Roger," Djokovic said.

"There's probably about a 15-year period in between where I was dominating the Grand Slams (before 'chasing' Alcaraz and Sinner).

"So I think it's important to put that in perspective. I don't feel like I'm chasing, to be honest."

As if the bear needed any poking, there was suddenly an extra motivation for Djokovic to lean on. And he thrives on it; whether it's questions from journalists or crowd heckling, he utilises it to his best possible advantage.

Coming into his semi-final against back-to-back champion Jannik Sinner, the man who dethroned him at the same stage in 2024, the odds were stacked against the Serbian great. No one aside from diehard Djokovic supporters gave him a realistic chance of reaching an 11th Australian Open final.

And those chances dwindled further when Sinner grabbed the opening set. You couldn't help but assume it was heading towards an inevitable conclusion.

But this is Novak Djokovic we're talking about. Despite achieving almost everything that the sport has to offer, you simply can't write him off. You just can't, because that's what greatness looks like.

Djokovic produced what was surely one of his best-ever performances on a tennis court, especially from two sets to one down against the tournament favourite. Millions around the world had flashbacks to prime Novak, sliding from side to side, covering every inch of the court, finding his spots on serve with perfection, and playing as if he had a point to prove.

He faced 18 break points throughout the contest, saving 16 of them. Can you comprehend just how crazy that sounds? Three of his service games in the fifth set had him trailing 15-40 twice and 0-40. He wasn't fazed. He wasn't broken once.

All he needed was the one break point in the seventh game to help complete one of the most astonishing victories at a Grand Slam. After letting two match points slip, Djokovic fell to his knees, staring at the sky, reflecting on what he had just accomplished.

His coach, Carlos Gomez Herrera, was in tears. This was more than just tennis. This was a statement to show the world that he can still go toe-to-toe with the world's best when his body can hold up.

Djokovic poured his heart and soul into that epic he described as "surreal" during an interview with Jim Courier, as Djokovic quickly reminded the popular American commentator that beating Sinner or Alcaraz was "very difficult, but not impossible".

The five-setter, lasting four hours and nine minutes, took so much out of the now world No.3 that he did his press conference near the player gym area to continue his recovery close to 3am.

That victory almost felt like the final for Djokovic, and although he looked as sharp as ever to take the first set 6-2 against Carlos Alcaraz, his body couldn't keep up with a 22-year-old freak that is bound to dominate the sport alongside Sinner for at least the next decade.

You can look at it in different ways. Yes, the four-set scoreline will forever be in the history books, marking a Djokovic loss. But to topple Sinner for the first time in six attempts and go within two sets of creating history by becoming the first player to reach 25 Grand Slam titles, 16 months shy of his 40th birthday, has to go down as one of the best wins of his storied career.

"I have belief, and I [always have] 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," Djokovic explained to reporters after finishing runner-up.

"Expectations, I lowered my expectations last couple of years, which also, I think, allows me to be able to let go of some of that unnecessary additional stress. 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 when it comes down to the last rounds of the Slams."

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