Jannik Sinner was quick to dismiss any talk of age being a factor as he prepares to face Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday.
Two-time defending champion Sinner, who has beaten Djokovic in each of their last five meetings, came through relatively unscathed in his 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 quarter-final victory over Ben Shelton.
The victory sets up a rematch of their 2024 semi-final in Melbourne, where Sinner came through in four sets on his way to a maiden Grand Slam title.
Despite his recent superiority in their head-to-head during his rise to the top of the sport, Sinner was quick to praise the Serb in his post-match press conference, talking of how his presence on tour acts as an inspiration and motivation for constant improvement.
“Me, as a 24-year-old, I’m lucky to have someone like him in front of my eyes, and I can hopefully learn something. I feel like every day, every time he plays, I can learn something about him, about Carlos, about all the other great, great players.
“I take this as a positive, you know? I think the way he’s playing, the way he’s moving, if you are not professional, you don’t play at this level. He’s an inspiration for all of us and especially the young players.”
The Italian No. 2 seed Sinner was quick to dismiss any talk of decline in the Djokovic game, instead pointing to the level of dedication he continues to show at 38 years of age.
“This you have to ask him. I don’t know. I mean, you know the level he’s still playing, he is, I think the most professional athlete we have here in the locker room.”
When pressed on whether he felt the gap between himself, Carlos Alcaraz, and the rest of the field was widening with each passing tournament, the defending champion was diplomatic as ever, choosing to focus on his own development rather than the wider picture.
“I can just talk about from my point of view, no, and I’m someone who is not looking on this, you know. I find myself in the semis. I had to overcome very tough challenges. Every day and every match day, we never take the opponent for granted. We try to maximize my potential, and not always you can show 100%, and it’s fine. Honestly, that’s it.
“I’m someone who goes very much in the present moment. As I said, very happy to be again in the semis. The season is long. Many things can change. Great, great player coming up. Novak is still here, and Sascha is playing great tennis.”
Although Sinner admitted his win over Djokovic changed the course of his career, his focus remains firmly on the challenge ahead.
“You know, when you make the step ahead in final of a Grand Slam and winning against Novak, it does change a bit. In the same time you have to do it over and over again. It’s very difficult.”
“It’s one of the toughest challenges we have in our sport. As I said on court, it’s great to have Novak, you know, playing this level, still very, very high level. It’s Grand Slam, it’s always very difficult against Novak. Let’s see what’s coming.”
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic will meet on Friday for a place in the Australian Open final.
