Jannik Sinner will make his first appearance on the ATP Tour next week since his Australian Open title defence came to an end.
Sinner lost in the semifinals at Melbourne Park to Novak Djokovic, with the Serb dethroning him in a five-set classic.
The Italian, who was looking to become the second man in the Open Era to three-peat Down Under, lost 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena.
Where does that performance rank out of Novak Djokovic’s best of all time?
His rival, Carlos Alcaraz, went on to beat Djokovic in the final and complete the Career Grand Slam, aged 22.
Now, ahead of his campaign at the Qatar Open, Sinner took a moment to reflect on the loss to the 38-year-old.
Jannik Sinner talks about his failed Australian Open title defence
In an interview with Sky Sports Italy, Sinner said: “The match against Nole taught me a lot.
“I think it was a great match, both on my part and on his. I had my chances, sometimes it doesn’t go as you hope, but that’s sport.
“We’re changing small details on the court, things that take a bit of time to become as natural as possible. But he gave me good feedback.
Are you more or less confident that Novak Djokovic can win his 25th Grand Slam now?
“We must not forget that sometimes losing is normal; it happens. Now we’ll see how it goes moving forward.”
Sinner is seeded second at the upcoming Qatar Open, and could face Alcaraz in the final of the ATP 500 event.
Djokovic was set to join the ‘new two’ in Doha, but he withdrew due to ‘strong fatigue’.
Jannik Sinner’s first opponent at the 2026 Qatar Open
Sinner will begin his Qatar Open run with a first-round matchup against Tomas Machac, whom he has played twice before on the ATP Tour.
The four-time major champion came out on top on both occasions, beating Machac at the Miami Open and the Shanghai Masters in 2024.
Sinner is on a quarterfinal collision course with Jakub Mensik, who was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open before his fourth-round clash with Djokovic.
Potential semifinal assignments for Sinner include Alexander Bublik, Arthur Fils and Jiri Lehecka.
Last year, Sinner missed out on the Qatar Open due to a three-month suspension from tennis.
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