"Hopefully, it's going to be ok" - Jannik Sinner clarifies illness situation ahead of SF clash with Novak Djokovic at Australian Open 2024

Jannik Sinner has provided an update on his illness scare ahead of his blockbuster Australian Open semifinal against 10-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Sinner, World No. 4, reached his first semifinal at Melbourne Park in his fifth appearance by beating Andrey Rublev in straight sets. That came a few hours after Djokovic took four sets to down Taylor Fritz in the first quarterfinal to reach his 11th Australian Open semifinal, confirming Sinner's date with the World No. 1.

During the second set of his win over Rublev, the Italian was seen clutching his stomach on a few occasions. But Sinner clarified to Eurosport that it was not a major issue and that he should be able to take on Djokovic in two days.

Sinner has been imperious this week, racking up five successive straight-set wins. He did come close to dropping his first set of the tournament, trailing 5-1 in the second-set tiebreak against Rublev before winning six straight points.

Following the win in Melbourne, the Italian told Laura Robson of Eurosport that the stomach issue was due to a 'bit of air,' hinting at something he ate before the match:

“(I think) there was a bit of air (in my stomach). I don’t know what exactly it (was), so we have to check.

“Maybe it was something I ate before the match. It went away with a bit of time, and in the third set I didn’t feel anything anymore. Hopefully, it’s going to be okay.”

Sinner went 2-2 with Djokovic last year, splitting their two meetings at the ATP Finals in Turin before the Italian won their Davis Cup finals clash.

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What happened the last time Jannik Sinner took on Novak Djokovic at a Grand Slam?

Jannik Sinner (left) lost to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic have had six clashes on the Tour, with the Italian winning only two of them. Two of those clashes have come at Grand Slams, with both going 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic's way.

A year after recovering from a two-set deficit to down Sinner in the 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinals, Djokovic had a far more straightforward outing against the Italian in the 2023 SW19 semifinal.

The Serb meant business as he took a commanding two-set lead, dropping just seven games. Sinner offered sterner resistance in the third, pushing the World No. 1 to a tiebreak, but couldn't extend the contest, as he went down 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4).

Less than a year later, the duo meet again at a Major, with Jannik Sinner arriving as the slightly more in-form player. While Novak Djokovic has dropped two sets in five matches this fortnight at Melbourne Park, Sinner is yet to concede one, which could lead to a rivetting showdown.