Martina Navratilova thinks she knows exactly why Jannik Sinner lost to Novak Djokovic yesterday in the Australian Open semi-finals.
It marked an enthralling encounter to cap off a scintillating day of tennis, which many fans will have felt they had earned after the dreary and drama-free week and a half that preceded it.
The hope is that the two Australian Open finals can continue this trend, and on paper, with the level of players and the respective match-ups, that is what will be expected.
Novak Djokovic’s win over Jannik Sinner was, unsurprisingly, the biggest shock of the last few days, as the 38-year-old rolled back the years to outlast an opponent 14 years his junior and only getting better.
However, Navratilova has explained what led to the Italian’s shock defeat, speaking live on Tennis Channel.
Martina Navratilova explains why Jannik Sinner lost to Novak Djokovic
As the statistics from the match flashed up on screen, the 18-time singles Grand Slam champion was asked what she felt made the difference.
Her answer was succinct: “Well, it’s clear as day. Break points won. I mean, if Sinner converts any of those early break points in the fifth set, he could have won the set 6-2. Instead, Novak cashed it in.
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“Sinner was trying to go to the Novak backhand a little too much. I think he should have run him around the court more, but look at the winners. Plus 26 for Sinner, but those numbers just don’t mean anything.”
This sparked Lindsay Davenport into action, who exclaimed: “Have you ever seen a player dominate the stat board as much as Sinner did? He won 12 more points as well, and he lost the match!”
She would then point out what she loved about what Djokovic did after the match as well as during it: “Yeah, that was the most remarkable thing, because there was so many times, like Martina said, especially early in the fifth, Sinner, five chances to get up a break early in that set.”
Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport discuss Novak Djokovic’s retirement
It feels ridiculous to think that, all through 2025, there were discussions over whether Djokovic might retire after so many near-misses at the Grand Slams.
Now, he is one win away from his ultimate goal.
Discussing that ludicrous narrative, Davenport explained what she loved about what Djokovic did after the match as well as during it: “I loved his quotes as well. He said in some ways this means more to him than other things he’s achieved in his career. I mean, you’re talking about a player who’s won 24 majors, he’s won here ten times, and a semi-final victory is up there.
“Also, everybody was talking last year that it’s time to hang it up, that he wasn’t gonna win another major, he talked about how that has fuelled him so much.
“I loved that he was able to rise and played a level we really didn’t see last year, and still believe that he could play at that level.”
Where does that performance rank out of Novak Djokovic’s best of all time?
Navratilova would then add: “And how did the conversation change so quickly.
“Against Musetti, down two-sets-to-love, Musetti gets hurt, he played terrible, I mean, Novak played terrible. That was the worst match I’d seen him play in years.
“Then he comes out here, if he had lost in three sets or four sets, we’re still like, well, maybe the time has come. Instead, he’s now in the conversation not just here but for the rest of the year.
“If he can match up against the Sinners and the Alcarazes of the world, the sky’s the limit, but the willpower and the drive that he still has… because it gets harder when you get older. Everything takes longer, deterioration happens, but not with him.”
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