The Serbian draws strength from his strong performance in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic narrowly missed his big goal, but gained a lot of courage for future attempts at the Australian Open. “I always believe I can do it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t compete,” said the Serbian Grand Slam record winner, who is still chasing his 25th major title, adding: “It’s great that I was able to beat Jannik in five sets and give Carlos a tough fight in four close sets.”
Djokovic prevailed in Melbourne in a spectacular semifinal against defending champion Jannik Sinner (Italy) – but in the final against world number one Carlos Alcaraz, the 38-year-old ran out of steam a little at 6-2, 2-6, 3-6, 5-7. “I knew I would probably have to beat both of them on my way to the title. I beat one, so I was closer than last year. That’s very nice, but not enough,” said Djokovic, who was eliminated in the semifinals of all Grand Slams in 2025.
He had “lowered his expectations a little” in recent years, Djokovic explained: “But I’ll keep pushing and see if I get another chance.” Overall, the Serb emphasized that he was “very proud” of what he had achieved.
Before he launches his next big attack at the French Open, Djokovic, who now focuses almost exclusively on the Grand Slams, needs to recharge his batteries. He said he is now looking forward to “being with my family. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about right now. Hugging my loved ones,” he said, bidding farewell to Melbourne with mixed feelings. Djokovic, who has triumphed ten times on the Yarra River and lost the final there for the first time on Sunday, continues to share the gender-spanning record for most Grand Slam victories with Australia’s Margaret Court.
