"I see there are a lot of experts all of a sudden who wanted to retire me": Novak Djokovic delights in proving doubters wrong

Novak Djokovic claimed one of the most emotional victories of recent years — as he himself admitted during his press conference at the Australian Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion returns to a major final after defeating two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in an epic battle lasting more than four hours.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion broke through the semifinal barrier at a major after falling four consecutive times at the same stage throughout 2025. At 38 years old, he will now seek to add another Grand Slam title — his first since the US Open 2023 and the 25th of his career — as he continues to extend his all-time record in major tournaments.

The match stretched deep into the Australian early morning hours, having started late after the more than five-hour epic between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev. Things extended to five sets between Sinner and Djokovic before the Serbian sealed the victory 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. In the aftermath, several specialists — including John McEnroe — described the performance as debatably one of the “finest ever performances” of Nole’s career.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t dare to call it my finest ever, but definitely the finest in the last couple of years,” Djokovic said in his press conference. “Under the circumstances, in the semifinals against someone who has been playing the best tennis of his life over the last couple of years, particularly here as a two-time defending champion, it doesn’t get better than this.”

“Honestly, when I started my preparations for the new season and set my goals, it’s no secret that Grand Slams are where I want to play my best tennis,” Novak Djokovic added. “But it becomes more difficult for me to motivate myself, and I ask myself questions like, what is it that I’m looking for?”

The Serbian acknowledged that he had already imagined himself playing the final stages of Grand Slams against Sinner and Alcaraz. “I was imagining playing against Jannik and Carlos in the final stages of Grand Slams this year, battling it out and really giving it all that I have. So I feel very fortunate to already experience that in the first Slam of the year,” he added. “It’s a big win. I’m very proud, very happy, and very relieved as well because it was physically very demanding and grueling.”

Djokovic did not arrive at the semifinals with the best sensations, following a disappointing performance against Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals, where an injury to the Italian saved him from defeat — after being two sets down and looking clearly outplayed both tennis-wise and physically. So how can Nole’s sudden rise in level over just a couple of days be explained?

“I never stopped believing in myself,” assured the 10-time Australian Open champion. “There are a lot of people who doubt me, and I see there are a lot of experts all of a sudden who wanted to retire me or already retired me many times over the last couple of years. I want to thank them all because they gave me strength. They gave me motivation to prove them wrong, which I did tonight.”

“For me, it’s not a surprise. I know what I’m capable of. I’ve had many matches in my career during Grand Slams where it’s just one of those days when you’re not feeling your best. You try to find a way to win with everything you have, even though the quality of tennis is not close to where you want it to be.”

Djokovic explained that it is a reality that there are days when players do not feel sharp in their game, but that advancing through the rounds also brings a new opportunity to leave those struggles behind. “That was the case. I was lucky that Lorenzo got hurt and retired from that match. Two days later, it was a different opponent. I knew exactly what was waiting for me on the court. I came out with great clarity, strategy, and a clear game plan that needed to be executed.”

“That’s obviously easier said than done. One thing is to imagine how you want to play, and another thing is to deliver it and execute it on the court against Sinner, who we all know is playing at an extremely high level,” he claimed. “I’m just thrilled to be able to experience something like this tonight.”

The Serbian must now shift his focus to the recovery process ahead of Sunday’s final — with less than 48 hours between matches. Nole will face an Alcaraz who spent more than five hours on court in the semifinals — although the age gap and recovery capacity between the 22-year-old Spaniard and the 38-year-old Djokovic is undeniable.

The Serbian did not yet want to anticipate whether he will be at 100% for the final. “It’s almost 3 a.m. I can’t make any predictions right now. I’m definitely not going to train tomorrow. I’m just going to use every hour I possibly can to recover and hopefully get out on finals day feeling somewhat refreshed.”

There will be plenty at stake this Sunday: Djokovic will attempt to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in history, while Alcaraz will seek to complete the Career Grand Slam with his seventh major title — and become the youngest player ever to win all four major titles at just 22 years old.

“There is always a lot at stake. For me, and obviously for Carlos as well, because of his age and everything he has already achieved,” claimed the world No. 4. “History is on the line for both of us every time we play. A Grand Slam final always carries enormous significance, but it’s not really different from any other big match I play. My preparation is the same.”