Jannik Sinner fell short in his bid to reach a sixth consecutive Grand Slam final.
The two-time defending champion was a heavy favorite to three-peat in Melbourne.
But it wasn’t to be, as Sinner lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6.
Where does that performance rank out of Novak Djokovic’s best of all time?
The Italian will now have to regroup ahead of the next Grand Slam, the French Open, in May.
Reacting to Sinner’s defeat, tennis legend Andy Roddick pinpointed his two biggest weaknesses.
Andy Roddick says Jannik Sinner’s struggles in heat and long matches will give hope to his rivals
During the latest episode of ‘Quick Served‘, Roddick had this to say about Sinner’s game.
“[Jannik] Sinner is fantastic. I think no differently of him,” he said.
“The stat that is going to be said over and over again. Like the [fact that Jessica] Pegula has not made it past the quarters, is that he has never won a match over three hours and 45 minutes.
“He is 0-9 [actually 1-8] now.
Jannik Sinner’s record in matches longer than 3hr 45 minutes (1-8)
- 2026 Australian Open SF [LOSS] vs Novak Djokovic (4hr, 09 minutes)
- 2025 French Open F [LOSS] vs Carlos Alcaraz (5hr, 29 minutes)
- 2024 Wimbledon QF [LOSS] vs Daniil Medvedev (4hr, 00 minutes)
- 2023 US Open 4R [LOSS] vs Alexander Zverev (4hr, 41 minutes)
- 2023 French Open 2R [LOSS] vs Daniel Altmaier (5hr, 26 minutes)
- 2023 Australian Open 4R [LOSS] vs Stefanos Tsitsipas (4hr, 00 minutes)
- 2022 US Open QF [LOSS] vs Carlos Alcaraz (5hr, 15 minutes)
- 2022 US Open 4R [WIN] vs Ilya Ivashka (3hr, 48 minutes)
- 2021 Australian Open 1R [LOSS] vs Denis Shapovalov (3hr, 55 minutes)
“That is going to stick.”
Roddick believes Sinner’s ATP Tour rivals will feel hopeful when they look at his record in longer matches
“If there is anything that the locker room has any hope for with Sinner, it’s heat and length,” he said.
“It’s really hard to get to four hours with him because he will knock your head off, but if you can, it does change a little bit.
“It’s like [Mike] Tyson in the 10th round vs Tyson in the third.
“He is walking in there to knock your head off.”
Sinner struggled with the heat throughout the Australian Open, most notably during his third-round win over Eliot Spizzirri.
Cramping up completely, Sinner was saved by the heat stress index, as he was allowed time to recover before returning to win in four sets.
Were the Australian Open wrong to allow Jannik Sinner time off court when he was cramping?
Similar problems resurfaced briefly during the latter stages of his win over Ben Shelton.
And, again, he tired against Djokovic as their match passed the 3hr, 45 mark.
Whether he can address the problem before the French Open begins remains to be seen.
What’s next for Jannik Sinner after Australian Open disappointment?
Sinner is scheduled to return to ATP Tour action at the Qatar Open next month.
The Italian was supposed to make his debut at the event in 2025, but those plans were derailed when he received a three-month suspension from tennis.
When he does finally debut in Doha, he’ll do so as the number-two seed in a highly competitive field.
Top eight seeds at the 2026 Qatar Open
| Seed | Name | Country |
| 1 | Carlos Alcaraz | Spain |
| 2 | Jannik Sinner | Italy |
| 3 | Novak Djokovic | Serbia |
| 4 | Felix Auger-Aliassime | Canada |
| 5 | Alexander Bublik | Kazakhstan |
| 6 | Daniil Medvedev | Russia |
| 7 | Andrey Rublev | Russia |
| 8 | Jakub Mensik | Czechia |
Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are both set to join him in the Middle East.
Only time will tell if Sinner can return to winning ways, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
The 2026 Qatar Open begins on Monday, February 16.
Before then, Alcaraz and Djokovic will contest the 2026 Australian Open men’s singles final on Sunday, February 1.
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