Novak Djokovic is in the news once again for his Australian Open loss to Jannik Sinner.
It is a narrative that is getting rather tired now, with so much back and forth over a single defeat.
I suppose, when you win as often as the Serbian does, his losses naturally would command that much more attention.
But what has been said now? Was the world number one really not feeling 100% as he bowed out at the semi-final stage to the eventual winner? We take a closer look…
What did Novak Djokovic’s coach say about his loss to Jannik Sinner?
It is Djokovic’s coach this time making the news, seeking to finally set the record straight after rumours emerged essentially making excuses for the emphatic manner in which the 22-year-old brushed aside the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Speaking to Sportklub, Goran Ivanišević pulled no punches in his assessment of his players’ performance: ‘Sooner or later he had to lose, we all knew that.
‘It’s just a shame that it happened this way, but against Sinner if you’re not 100%, you have little chance. And even when you’re at 100%, you can still lose.
‘However, the whole Australian Open Novak was somehow not right, from the first round onwards. Well, let’s move on, it’s nothing that tragic.’
Then, when asked if he was fully fit, he noted: ‘No, nothing bothered him, he was healthy, but it just didn’t work out… It can happen to him too, he is flesh and blood. On the other hand, if he had to have lost to someone, then I’m glad it was Sinner.’
Merely a blip in Novak Djokovic’s near-spotless record
As Ivanišević noted, he had to lose eventually.
What he has been doing these past few years, at the age of 36, is nothing short of miraculous. How many times now have we seen young superstars burst onto the scene, certain to upset the status quo, only for Djokovic and co to knock them back down into obscurity?
He is relentless and inevitable, and that is why he is the greatest.
And yet, for all his immense preparation and remarkable fitness, he is bound to show his age every now and then. That does not take away from his greatness, and as WTA star Caroline Garcia even noted, it does not detract from him being the GOAT.
Despite disappointing in Melbourne, a tournament which he has such a rich history of winning, is merely a blip across an otherwise spotless past few seasons.
Ironically enough, there is still every chance Djokovic could win the next three Grand Slams and make those doubting him look foolish. He’s just that good.
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