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Novak Djokovic’s next tournament confirmed and he could face Rafael Nadal

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Novak Djokovic has been spending time relaxing with his family in Spain in recent days, but now his next tournament on the ATP Tour has been confirmed.

The world No 1 suggested he was struggling with a virus during the Australian Open and he turned in an unusually limp performance in his defeat against eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

 

Novak Djokovic - Latest news, reaction, results, pictures, video - The Mirror

His comments in his final press conference in Melbourne left some doubts over whether he would have an extended break from the game, as he confirmed once again that his focus will be on Grand Slam events for the rest of his career.

“I still have high hopes, you know, for other Slams, Olympics, and whatever tournaments that I’ll play,” he said, looking ahead to the rest of 2024.

“It’s just the beginning of the season. It’s not the feeling that I’m used to. I mean, it kind of has been incredibly satisfying for me, you know, to start off most of my seasons with a Grand Slam win and never lost in semis or finals of the Australian Open.

“So this time it’s a bit different, but it is what it is. Let’s see. I don’t know.

“This tournament hasn’t been, as I said, up to my standard or criteria or the level that I would normally play or expect myself to play, but doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the beginning of the end, you know, as some people like to call it.

“It’s not a secret that I want to break more records and make more history of the game and the focus will be on the Slams from now on. That’s something that keeps on motivating me.”

After achieving the historic number one ranking for the longest weeks at number one, it’s going to be a relief for me because I’m going to focus all my attention on Slams mostly.

“When you are going for number one rankings, you kind of have to be playing the entire season.

“My goals will adapt and will shift a little bit, which means that I will have an opportunity to do that which, as a father and a husband, I’m really looking forward to.”

It sparked question marks over whether he will play at the Indian Wells and Miami Open ‘Sunshine Swing’ tournaments in March, but now it has been confirmed that the 24-time Grand Slam champion will make the trip to America next month.

Indian Wells officials have posted a social media post confirming Djokovic will be part of their draw for the first time since 2019, as he will aim to win his fifth title in the Californian event.

He is likely to also confirm his participation in the Miami Open that comes up straight after the Indian Wells tournament, which will give the Serbian a chance to increase his lead at the top of the ATP rankings.

Novak Djokovic

Indian Wells chiefs are also promoting the return of Rafael Nadal to the tournament, as they are hailing his comeback as ‘the return of The King’.

In the women’s draw, Naomi Osaka is one of the headline comeback acts being used to promote the event, with Caroline Wozniacki also part of the promotion ahead of a tournament that gets underway on March 6th.

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“I’m sure there’s something serious going on, otherwise Rafael Nadal would come here & play”: When Novak Djokovic discussed Spaniard’s US Open absence

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Novak Djokovic once shared his thoughts on Rafael Nadal’s absence from the 2012 US Open, highlighting what a considerable loss it was for the tournament.

Djokovic entered the New York Major as the second seed and defending champion, on the hunt for his second US Open title. Nadal, meanwhile, pulled out of the Grand Slam event due to tendonitis. This injury had already led to his absence from the London Olympics and the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati, ultimately forcing him to conclude his season early.

Ahead of his title defense, Novak Djokovic shared his perspective on Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal from the event. He found the Spaniard’s absence “strange” given the rarity of the top four players – himself, Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray – missing a Grand Slam event, which he believed was indicative of the great era in men’s tennis.

“Well, it is strange because he hasn’t missed a slam for a long time. I think neither of us top four have really missed a slam for a long time, which can only work in favor of the sport,” he said in a press conference.

“I think that’s why it’s one of the reasons why we are experiencing a great era of men’s tennis, because all the top players are really committed in their performing and all the top events and, you know, reaching the final stages of those events,” he added.

The Serb lauded Nadal as a “great competitor” and expressed certainty that the Spaniard was dealing with a serious issue, as he would undoubtedly be competing in New York otherwise.

“So Rafa is a great competitor and somebody I know really well on and off the court. I’m sure that there is something serious going on, you know, because otherwise he would come here and play,” he said.

Djokovic went on to acknowledge Nadal’s absence as a great loss, not just for the tournament but for the sport as a whole, given his immense popularity. He also extended his best wishes to the Spaniard for a speedy recovery.

“So I know it’s in a way a loss for the tournament and, you know, for tennis itself, because he’s greatly appreciated, successful, and very popular athlete around the world. But, you know, I wish him a speedy recovery, obviously,” he added.

Novak Djokovic failed to defend his title at US Open 2012 in Rafael Nadal’s absence

2012 US Open - Day 15

Novak Djokovic clinched his maiden US Open title in 2011, claiming a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1 over Rafael Nadal in the final. The following year, the Serb kicked off his title defense with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-1 win over Paolo Lorenzi.

He secured similarly dominant straight-set victories over Rogerio Dutra da Silva and Julien Benneteau to reach the fourth round of the Major. Djokovic advanced to the quarterfinals after Stan Wawrinka retired from their fourth-round clash.

Rafael Nadal withdraws before Australian Open - NBC Sports

Subsequently, the Serb defeated seventh seed Juan Martin del Potro 6-2, 7-6(3), 6-4 to reach the semifinals. He then triumphed over David Ferrer 2-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, setting up a blockbuster title clash against third seed Andy Murray.

Murray dashed Djokovic’s hopes of a successful title defense at the New York Major, claiming a hard-fought 7-6(1), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 win over the Serb to secure his maiden Grand Slam title.

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Novak Djokovic knocked off world No 1 spot in tennis rankings he endorses

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The UTR rankings offer up an alternative view of the state of play in tennis and the updated list suggests Novak Djokovic has been ousted as the king of the men’s game.

Djokovic headed into 2024 as the undisputed king of men’s tennis after ending last year with another dominant display at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Novak Djokovic press conference Australian Open

His aura and presence on court appeared to be too much for most of his rivals to overcome and there was an expectation that the Serbian legend would confirm he is in a class of his own at the Australian Open.

Yet the 10-time champion in Melbourne was not at his best for most of the tournament and was then beaten by Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

The manner of Djokovic’s defeat raised plenty of questions over Djokovic’s waning powers, yet there have been suggestions that he was suffering from a virus that may have affected his stamina over the two-week event.

Now the latest UTR rankings have been released and they confirm Djokovic’s fall from grace, with Sinner replacing the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the top of the list.

Sinner’s three wins against Djokovic in his last four meetings will have contributed to his leap up the UTR rankings as they reward wins against higher-ranked opponents to be evidence of a change of momentum in that rivalry.

So the next time Djokovic plays Sinner, he will have a chance to gain additional UTR ranking points as he will be taking on a player ranked higher than him in the current standings.

The UTR rankings are endorsed by Djokovic and he made these comments that suggest he believes they are more accurate to assess current form than the ATP list.

“The UTR Rating is the best way to measure yourself against all other players regardless of their age or skill level,” stated Djokovic.

There are some additional talking points in the new UTR ratings, with Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev in third place in the rankings, Carlos Alcaraz down in fourth and Rafael Nadal still on this list at No 6.

Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dmitrov, Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz are also in the top ten, with Australia’s Nick Kyrgios at No 13 and Great Britain’s Jack Draper at No 16.

These method for calculating the UTR ratings differ greatly from the rolling ATP list, which ranks players based on the points they collect over 52 weeks.

The UTR rankings on current form in the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occured up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The brainchild of tennis professionals who wanted to prevent lopsided matches, UTR Sports had humble beginnings in the mid-2000s to launch a tennis rating.

UTR Sports partners and investors include Djokovic, Team8, Tennis Channel, Amazon Prime Video, Tennis Australia, and many more.

Novak Djokovic

As the concept expanded, UTR Sports realized that by building a system that would stop unbalanced matches, they were actually developing something more powerful: a truly global rating system, capable of accurately rating players based upon their actual match results—regardless of if they were recreational players or professionals.

The UTR Rating is the gold-standard rating for college tennis and is used for recruiting by almost all college coaches in the U.S.

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Novak Djokovic ‘refused to go to doctor’ as long-term illness derailed Aus Open campaign

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Novak Djokovic suffered an uncharacteristic defeat to Jannik Sinner in the semi-final of the Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat to Jannik Sinner in the semi-final of the Australian Open last week – his first loss in Melbourne since 2018. The world No. 1 looked a shadow of his usual self as he went out 6-1 6-2 6-7(6) 6-3 and failed to have a single break point opportunity throughout the match. And it has now emerged that Djokovic was unwell with a fever the night before the match, also “refusing” to go to the doctor.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic was reportedly suffering with a fever the night before his semi-final loss

Djokovic’s dominant run in Melbourne came to an end as Sinner snapped his six-year, 33-match win streak at the Australian Open. Previously, the 36-year-old had always gone on to win the title when he reached the semis. But the world No. 4 sent him packing and went on to lift the trophy himself.

It was an uncharacteristic performance from Djokovic – especially in the first two sets, where he won just three total games. For the first time in a Grand Slam match, he had zero break point chances throughout the three-hour and 22-minute contest. Djokovic later branded it “one of the worst Grand Slam matches” he’d ever played.

But it appears that there was more to Djokovic’s defeat than just a bad day at the office, as Serbian reporter Luka Nikolic revealed that the 24-time Grand Slam champion had been struggling with the flu. “He got a fever the night before the semi-finals,” Nikolic said on the Reketiranje podcast.

2024 Australian Open - Day 13
Jannik Sinner ended Novak Djokovic’s six-year, 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open

“Something similar to what [Alexander] Zverev had. He was sick for three weeks, but some virus caught him again.” The Serbian journalist also explained that Djokovic “refused” a visit to the doctor so the media wouldn’t find out about his illness.

He added: “Some colds get worse… It can’t play well with temperature. He didn’t want to go to the doctor so that the journalists wouldn’t break it and make a fuss about it. That’s why he played so badly in the first two sets, it was obvious that he was weak and that he couldn’t do it.”

In the early rounds of the tournament, Djokovic was seen blowing his nose on the court and confirmed that he had been suffering from sickness in the lead-up to the Australian Open. Speaking after his tight first-round win over Dino Pizmic, the 36-year-old said: “Yeah, I am a bit under the weather last, yeah, four, five days.

TENNIS-AUS-OPEN
Novak Djokovic was struggling with an illness at the start of the tournament

“You can probably judge by my voice. Look, it is what it is. You just have to try to deal with it and get over it and accept the circumstances and try to make the most of it.” And he doubled down after being pushed to four sets against Alexei Popyrin in the second round.

“Look, I haven’t been playing or feeling at my best the last, whatever, week or so. Yeah, it’s frustrating at times with kind of the level of tennis that I’m playing on the court and some uncharacteristic mistakes that I make. At the same time, that’s sport,” Djokovic confessed.

But Djokovic didn’t bring up the illness after losing to Sinner. “I want to congratulate Sinner for playing a great match, great tournament so far. He’s deservedly in the finals. He outplayed me completely today,” he said after the worrying defeat, admitting that he was “shocked with my level in a bad way” and hadn’t “really played close to my best” throughout the tournament.

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How much was the Rafael Nadal’s racket from 2007 French Open, where he beat Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer sold at auction?

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Rafael Nadal’s 2007 French Open-winning racket, Babolat AeroPro Drive, was recently sold at an online auction for $118,206. It has become the third most valuable racket after the Babolat Pure Aero from his 2022 Australian Open-winning run ($139,700) and Billie Jean King’s ‘Battle of the Sexes’ racket ($125,000).

Since turning pro in 2001, Nadal has always used Babolat as his go-to racket. The Spaniard’s most famous racket was the Babolat AeroPro Drive, which he employed from 2005 to 2015. The specs and design of the racket ensured that he could heave through balls with loads of topspin, contributing to his dominance on clay courts.

The 2007 edition of the French Open saw the 22-time Grand Slam winner in tenacious form, as he dropped only one set en route his third title in Paris. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in straight sets before getting the better of Roger Federer in four sets in the final.

With such big names on his list of vanquished opponents, it was hardly surprising that Rafael Nadal’s Babolat AeroPro Drive racket fetched $118,206 at the Prestige Memorabilia’s The Tennis Auction. The racket was showcased at the Australian Tennis Museum before going under the hammer on January 29, as per Marca.

For academic purposes, here is a table listing the players that the Spaniard beat during Roland Garros in 2007:

Rafael Nadal’s 2007 Babolat racket more valuable than Novak Djokovic’s 2016 Roland Garros-winning Head

Novak Djokovic’s 2016 French Open-winning Head Speed Graphene Touch PT113B was also sold at an auction nearly two months ago. The Serb’s racket raked in $107,482, which is about $10,000 less than the price at which his archrival’s Babolat racket from 2007 was sold this week.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2016 Shanghai Rolex Masters
ovak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal at the 2016 Shanghai Rolex Masters

Novak Djokovic’s campaign for his maiden Roland Garros title saw him beat top players such as Roberto Bautista Agut, Tomas Berdych, Dominic Thiem and Andy Murray.

Billie Jean King’s Wilson racket from her famous 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’ encounter against Bobby Riggs remains the second most expensive racket to date, fetching a price tag of $125,000 at New York’s Bonhams auction house. The American is one of the greatest players in history, having won 12 Grand Slam titles in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles.

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Djokovic’s stranglehold on World No. 1, Sinner’s path to No. 2

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Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings projection following the Australian Open

Despite losing in the semi-finals of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic still has a stranglehold on the No. 1 Pepperstone ATP Ranking, while champion Jannik Sinner has a chance to make a charge for World No. 2 in the coming months.

 

Through Miami at the end of March, Djokovic will only need to defend 180 points from Dubai, where last year he reached the semi-finals. The 36-year-old did not compete in Indian Wells or Miami in 2023 and has a big opportunity to gain points.

The three players directly below Djokovic — Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Sinner — will all be defending a significant number of points in the next two months. World No. 3 and Australian Open finalist Medvedev has the most of the group to defend, with 2,850 points. The 27-year-old went through a stretch last year during which he won titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami, while also reaching the Indian Wells final.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings

If you remove all the points that will drop for the quartet through March, Sinner will trail World No. 2 Alcaraz by just 545 points, giving the Italian an opening to maintain his momentum from the past six months. The 22-year-old won ATP 500 titles in Beijing and Vienna before making the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals.

He hit his highest note yet Sunday when he earned Grand Slam glory at Melbourne Park. Sinner has won 20 of his past 21 matches.

The Top 4 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings have separated themselves from the pack. Djokovic, Alcaraz, Medvedev and Sinner are all within 1,545 points, with no player within 3,000 points of them. World No. 5 Andrey Rublev has 5,050 points and World No. 6 Alexander Zverev has 5,030 points.

Djokovic has held World No. 1 for a record 410 weeks, 100 more than any other player in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history (since 1973). Roger Federer was in top spot for 310 weeks in his career.

Alcaraz and Medvedev have also earned World No. 1, while Sinner is at a career-high World No. 4.

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Novak Djokovic LAMENTS ‘one of the worst’ performances at a grand slam as Jannik Sinner makes Australian Open final

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Novak Djokovic fell to his first defeat at the Australian Open in a staggering 2,195 days as he was defeated by Jannik Sinner on Friday, 6-1 6-2 6-7(6-8) 6-3.

The 22-year-old Sinner will now contest the first grand slam final of his career having ended Djokovic’s bid for an 11th title in Melbourne.

Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates after defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, January 26, 2024.

It also means that Djokovic’s pursuit of an outright record 25th grand slam title is put on hold after he was outplayed by the Italian across their three hour, 22-minute contest.

Sinner, who dropped his first set of the tournament in Friday’s semifinal, is the youngest male finalist at the Australian Open since Djokovic won the title in 2008 and will face Russian Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s showpiece.

“It was a very, very tough match,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “I started off really well. He missed for two sets, I felt like he was not feeling that great on court, so I just tried to keep pushing.”

You have to go all the way back to his fourth-round defeat against Chung Hyeon in 2018 for the previous time that Djokovic lost in Melbourne – 33 matches ago.

‘Nole’ later gave a very frank assessment of his performance against Sinner, which was also his first semifinal defeat at the Australian Open.

“He outplayed me completely today,” Djokovic told reporters. “Look, I was, in a way, shocked with my level, in a bad way. There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets.

“I guess this is one of the worst grand slam matches I’ve ever played – at least that I remember. Not a very pleasant feeling playing this way. But at the same time, credit to him for doing everything better than me in every aspect of the game.”

Djokovic was uncharacteristically sloppy in the opening exchanges and produced 29 unforced errors across the first two sets. Sinner, by contrast, had only eight, and his accuracy and aggression earned him a 2-0 lead in just an hour and 13 minutes.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves to Jannik Sinner of Italy during their semifinal at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024.
Djokovic prepares to serve against Sinner.

Tightening his game in the third set, Djokovic looked for a foothold in the contest but was unable to find an opening on Sinner’s serve. Indeed, this was the first time in his career that Djokovic failed to produce a break-point chance in a completed grand slam match, according to Opta.

After the third set remained on serve, Sinner engineered a match point in the tie-break but was unable to take advantage as he netted a forehand.

Instead, Djokovic won the next three points, conjuring flashbacks to the 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinal when the Serb came back from 2-0 down to win.

But there was to be no repeat of those heroics on this occasion. Djokovic was broken at 2-1 in the fourth set having held a 40-0 lead, and from there, Sinner was always in control and could see out the biggest victory of his career to date.

He has now beaten Djokovic in three of their last four matches dating back to November.

“I was looking forward to this match, it’s always nice to have this kind of player you can learn from,” Sinner said. “I lost last year [against Djokovic] in the semis in Wimbledon. I think I learned a lot from that; it’s all part of the process.”

Medvedev comes back to win in five sets
In Friday’s other semifinal, Medvedev came from two sets down to defeat Germany’s Alexander Zverev 5-7 3-6 7-6(7-4) 7-6(7-5) 6-3 in a marathon contest.

The third seed will contest his sixth grand slam final against Sinner having endured a difficult path to this point, winning in five sets on three occasions.

Russia's Daniil Medvedev celebrates after victory against Germany's Alexander Zverev during their men's singles semi-final match on day 13 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne early on January 27, 2024. (Photo by David GRAY / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Medvedev celebrates reaching his third Australian Open final against Zverev.

The four-hour, 18-minute match against Zverev was Medvedev’s second-longest of the tournament so far, and it was an encounter filled with brutal, energy-sapping rallies, particularly in the opening stages.

He was on the back foot throughout the semifinal, coming from 4-1 down in the first set before being broken late on, then being outplayed in the second set as Zverev upped his game.

But Medvedev found a way to stay in the match through the next two sets, winning both in tie-breaks as neither player could break the other’s serve.

Securing the crucial break at 2-2 in the fifth set, Medvedev then broke Zverev again at 5-3 to set up a third final in Melbourne.

“I was a little bit lost, but during the third set, I started saying to myself, ‘If I lose this match, I just want to be proud of myself, I want to fight till the end, fight for every point, and if I lose I lose,’” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I managed to win, so I’m very proud.”

The 27-year-old owns a 6-3 advantage in his head-to-head against Sinner, but the latter enters the match the fresher of the two having won the majority of his matches in three sets.

To make the stakes even higher, there will also be a first-time Australian Open champion crowned in Rod Laver Arena on Sunday.

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‘Roger Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving’ – Novak Djokovic opens on early years on tour

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Roger Federer wasn’t a big fan of Novak Djokovic during the early days of his career, according to the 24-time Grand Slam winner himself. Following Djokovic’s third-round triumph at the Australian Open, the Serbian was asked which players he didn’t see eye to eye with when he first joined the tour because of his expressive personality. “I know certainly Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving.”

Roger Federer's Beautiful Game | The New Yorker

Novak Djokovic has revealed that tennis legend Roger Feder “didn’t like the way he was behaving” when the Serbian first joined the professional tour.
Djokovic advanced into the fourth round of the Australian Open after victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Friday, as he seeks a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
As the 36-year-old continues his bid to become the sport’s greatest-ever player, he was asked in his latest post-match press conference whether any players gave him advice or criticism because of his big and expressive personality in the early stages of his career.

Djokovic began his professional career in 2003, the beginning of an era Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal began to dominate, and in 2008 won his first Grand Slam to disrupt the pairs’ streak of 11 consecutive majors.
On whether he ever had any confrontations with older players during his early days, Djokovic revealed one name that he didn’t see eye to eye with.
“I know certainly Federer didn’t like the way I was behaving at the beginning,” he said. “I think it didn’t sit with him well. I don’t know about the others.
“I guess I wasn’t the favourite type of guy to some of the top guys because I was not afraid to say that I wanted to be the best player in the world. I was kind of – not kind of – I was confident, and I felt like I had the game to back it up.”

Djokovic and Federer – who won 20 Grand Slam titles – contested a fierce rivalry on the court and faced each other in five major finals, four of which the Serbian won.
Although Djokovic professed his brazen personality back in the day, he insisted he always held every opponent he faced in high regard.
“I never, ever lacked respect,” he said. “Whenever I start a match, before the match or finish the match, I would always greet the opponent, always acknowledge [them].
“Respect is something that I was taught that needs to be present regardless of what is happening.

“Obviously, on the court, a lot of things can happen in a kind of heat of a battle. It was a very long time ago now, 20 years since I made my first debut I think on the professional tour.
“It’s really hard to say who liked me more or less. I think I named one, so I don’t know. I can’t recall others.”

Tennis great Roger Federer by numbers: Titles, records and stats

On whether Djokovic took any criticism on board, he added: “It was fueling me even more. I mean, if I made a mistake, I would admit it and, of course, say I make a mistake, I raise my hand, I apologize or whatever.
“But if the criticism came with no particular reason I think, then I would just keep going the kind of direction that I chose, and that’s it.
“I knew and I know today that you can’t have everyone liking you, who you are, how you play, how you behave, what you talk about. It’s normal. We’re all different. We are all different preferences.

Following his victory over Etcheverry on Friday, Djokovic – who became the only men’s player in the Open Era to appear in more than a century of matches in all four majors – will play Adrian Mannarino for a spot in the quarter-final.
Mannarino edged Ben Shelton in the third round to deny the latter and Djokovic a frosty reunion following the pairs’ meeting at the US Open last year.
Djokovic criticised Shelton for showing a lack of respect, but despite his previous comments said he was in favour of players backing themselves on the biggest stage.
‘As far as Shelton’s level of confidence and coming out, I don’t mind that actually at all,” he said. “I think it’s great.

Roger Federer returns to action in Geneva having been vaccinated against COVID-19 | Tennis News | Sky Sports

“You got to believe. I’m all for that. I support 100% a young player coming out on the court, like Prizmic did the other night against me, and Shelton is doing coming out believing in his capabilities that he can challenge the best players in the world. I don’t dislike that at all.
“But there is obviously some kind of line, non-visible line, of acceptable behaviour I guess towards the other player. If a player steps over that line, then obviously it starts being annoying. That’s when you react or you don’t react, whatever. It just depends.
“But I’m all for young players showing confidence and speaking, always with respect, towards the older guys who are on the tour, but being confident in themselves and their tennis.”

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Australian Open 2024 results: Novak Djokovic eases into fourth round in 100th match in Melbourne

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Novak Djokovic celebrated his 100th match at the Australian Open with a dominant victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry to reach the fourth round.

Top seed Djokovic showed the best form of his title defense so far to beat the 30th seed 6-3 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

It keeps the 36-year-old on course for a 25th Grand Slam title, which would take him clear of the all-time record held by Australian Margaret Court.

Novak Djokovic

“It was the best performance I’ve had during this tournament,” Djokovic said.

He will next play France’s 35-year-old Adrian Mannarino, who beat 21-year-old Ben Shelton in his third five-set win in a row.

Djokovic has won 92 of his 100 matches in Melbourne, and is now the first man to play 100 matches at all four Grand Slams, having played 108 matches at the French Open, 103 at Wimbledon and 101 at the US Open.

The 10-time champion seemed distracted at times in his first two matches at Melbourne Park, dropping sets against Dino Prizmic and then Alexei Popyrin. He was also involved in a confrontation with a fan against Popyrin.

But tasked with Argentine Etcheverry, who had impressively brushed aside Andy Murray and Gael Monfils in the previous rounds, the Serb was clinical in securing a 31st win in a row at the Australian Open.

He lost just four points on serve as he dictated from the baseline in the first set, breaking in the sixth game as Etcheverry pushed a backhand long under intense pressure.

Australian Open 2024 results: Novak Djokovic confronts fan in win over Alexei Popyrin - BBC Sport

A dismissive forehand return winner earned Djokovic an early break in the second set and he took his opponent’s serve again to clinch the set. At one stage the crowd on Rod Laver Arena gasped as he produced a trademark, stunning backhand winner on the stretch.

Etcheverry played his best tennis in the third set and forced a tie-break but Djokovic took the first three points of the breaker to ease through, wrapping up victory without facing a break point in the match.

“Obviously I’m pleased with the way I played throughout the entire match, particularly the first two sets,” Djokovic said.

“He stepped it up and raised his level of tennis in the third set. We went toe-to-toe in the tiebreaker.”

Sinner positions himself as one of Djokovic’s main rivals

Jannik Sinner of Italy
Jannik Sinner’s best run at the Australian Open was a quarter-final showing in 2022

Djokovic has won all four of his previous meetings with his next opponent Mannarino, although the left-hander has reached a career-high ranking of 19 in the world at the age of 35.

Mannarino’s 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 6-4 win against American Shelton came in four hours and 46 minutes, following on from five-set victories against former champion Stan Wawrinka and Spain’s Jaume Munar in the first and second rounds respectively.

Earlier Jannik Sinner showed why he is one of Djokovic’s biggest rivals for the title by thrashing Argentine Sebastian Baez.

The Italian fourth seed raced into the second week in Melbourne with a 6-0 6-1 6-3 win in less than two hours.

the 22-year-old won four titles in 2023 and ended it on a high by leading Italy to a first Davis Cup title for 47 years.

Novak Djokovic | Biography, Grand Slams, & Facts | Britannica

A relaxed Sinner showed his good mood on Margaret Court Arena as he joked with his coaching team moments before securing the win against 26th seed Baez.

“In matches, I used to be really, really serious, which I still am, obviously,” he added.

“But sometimes you have to smile, you have to laugh a little bit, because it’s also important and it changes your attitude on the court. I think in a positive way.”

Sinner will face Karen Khachanov next after the Russian 15th seed overcame a third-set wobble to beat Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-6 (7-5).

Also on Friday, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Frenchman Luca Van Assche to set up a fourth-round meeting with American 12th seed Taylor Fritz.

The Greek seventh seed rushed into a two-set lead, but had to fight back from a 2-0 deficit in the third to win 6-3 6-0 6-4.

Meanwhile, Fritz came from a set down to beat Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2.

Home favourite Alex de Minaur, the 10th seed, also progressed with a 6-3 6-3 6-1 win over Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli.

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TENNIS

Australian Open 2024 results: Novak Djokovic confronts fan in win over Alexei Popyrin

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Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic said a confrontation with a spectator was the spark he “needed” to hold off Alexei Popyrin and avoid a shock second-round exit.

Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 11th men’s title in Melbourne, looked far from his best in the four-set win.

The Serb told one spectator to “come down and tell it to my face” during the fourth set after repeated heckling.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic hits a return against Australia's Alexei Popyrin

“Maybe that was needed for me to be shaken up a bit,” said Djokovic, 36.

The world number one said he did not “want to be in those types of situations” but added the incident helped him to “start to find the kind of intensity on the court” that was required for him to see out a 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory.

The inspired Popyrin, ranked 43rd, entertained the partisan home crowd as he won the second set to level the match before losing a pivotal third set in a tie-break after failing to capitalise on four set points.

With the fourth set level at 2-2, Djokovic – who admitted he felt “flat emotionally” – said he engaged with the fan because his patience had run out after “a lot of things” were shouted at him during the match.

“There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side in the other corner.

“I was tolerating it for most of the match. At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wanted to come down and tell it to my face.

“He didn’t have the courage to come down. That’s what I was asking him. If you have courage, if you’re such a tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let’s have a discussion about it.

“He was apologizing from far away. That’s all it is.”

Djokovic finds a way

Djokovic came through the longest first-round Grand Slam match of his career against teenage qualifier Dino Prizmic on Sunday, playing for four hours and one minute.

The early stages of his second match of the tournament suggested it would be a much quicker encounter for the Serb, who took 38 minutes to claim the opener after sealing the decisive break with a stunning cross-court winner to go 5-3 up before consolidating.

However, Popyrin – the world number 43 – proved to be a bigger threat than rankings suggested.

Having gone a break up in the fourth game, Popyrin missed the chance to serve out the second set, but he redeemed himself in front of his home fans with a sensational lob to break at 5-4 and level the match.

Djokovic survived four set points before racing through the tie-break to close out a dramatic third set and put himself in the driving seat.

And, after confrontating the heckler in the stands, the 24-time major winner thrived on the crowd’s hostility to break for a 4-2 lead. Missing out on four match points, he claimed victory with the fifth as the clock struck midnight at Melbourne Park.

“I don’t think I played at the highest level,” Djokovic said. “I didn’t do anything special – he was a better player for a set and a half. Things changed around and the momentum shifted in the tie-break.”

Djokovic will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry next after the Argentine 30th seed, who conquered Andy Murray in straight sets on Monday, won 6-4 6-4 6-4 against Gael Monfils.

Sinner working on ‘Baywatch’ physique

Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a forehand against Jesper de Jong
Sinner has never gone further than the quarter-finals at the Australian Open

Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner stormed into the third round with a dominant win against Jesper de Jong.

The 22-year-old needed just 103 minutes to thrash the Dutch qualifier 6-2 6-2 6-2 under a closed roof on Margaret Court Arena on a rainy day.

Sinner, who will face Daniel Elahi Galan or Sebastian Baez in the next round, said he has been working in the gym on his off-days in Melbourne.

He joked he wanted a muscular physique like the actors in TV show Baywatch.

“Tomorrow I have a day off, trying to practise myself into the match rhythm. I [will do] also a little bit in the gym. Even if you can’t see it, I’m skinny, but it’s OK,” Sinner said.

“I’m happy with my physicality at the moment. Of course it’s a dream to have the ‘Baywatch’ physicality but it’s OK.”

Adrenaline rush carries Tsitsipas through tough test

Australian Open 2024: Gritty Tsitsipas survives Thompson threat, Rublev eases into Round 3 - India Today

Stefanos Tsitsipas said the adrenaline rush he felt was “insane” as he battled past Jordan Thompson in Wednesday’s night session on Margaret Court Arena.

The Greek seventh seed required three hours and 36 minutes to overcome the Australian home hope 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 7-6 (7-4).

“You live for these kinds of matches, the intensity was there today. We were both able to peak in terms of our tennis at some point during the match,” Tsitsipas added.

“The fact that I can go to sleep tonight and know I gave it all makes me extremely happy right now.”

He will face Luca van Assche in the third round after Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of the French teenager, who fought back from 2-1 down to win 6-3 3-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-0.

American 17th seed Frances Tiafoe was another shock exit as he fell to a 6-4 6-4 7-6 (7-5) loss against Czech world number 75 Tomas Machac.

Tiafoe’s American compatriots, 12th seed Taylor Fritz and 16th seed Ben Shelton claimed wins against French lucky loser Hugo Gaston and Australia’s Christopher O’Connell, respectively.

Elsewhere, Russian fifth seed Andrey Rublev needed just 99 minutes to beat American Chris Eubanks 6-4 6-4 6-4, while Australian 10th seed Alex de Minaur swept aside Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-3 6-0 6-3.

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