Novak Djokovic fails to create single break point against Jannik Sinner in Australian Open loss, struggles mark Serb's 1st such showing in a Slam

Novak Djokovic suffered the first Australian Open semifinal defeat of his 20-year-long career on Friday (January 26), losing 1-6, 2-6, 7-6(8), 3-6 to fourth-seeded Jannik Sinner.

Sinner began the match in red-hot way, blasting out first serves and hitting big groundstrokes from the baseline to take the first two sets 6-1 and 6-2. The Serb eventually regrouped in the third set and even staved off a match point to take it in a tiebreaker.

Jannik Sinner, however, broke the Serb's serve in the fourth game before serving out the match a few games later. Interestingly, Novak Djokovic failed to muster a single break point opportunity during the match — a first for him at the Grand Slam tournaments.

The 36-year-old got the closest to breaking Sinner's serve in the last game of the second set. The Serb had gotten off to a 30-0 start, but some inspired rallying from the Italian helped him serve out the game at deuce. He earned a 30-0 lead on one more return game but the fourth seed denied him comfortably there.

All in all, the 24-time Major winner returned Sinner's serve in 19 games and couldn't create a break point opportunity in any of them. While he had lost straight-set matches at the Majors before, he had still managed to trouble his opponents a fair amount on their service games.

A look at Novak Djokovic's defeats at the Australian Open

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner embrace at 2024 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 11th title in Melbourne this year. The Serb could've also become the sole holder of most Major titles in the Open era had he gone all the way at the tournament. Having said that, he can take respite in his almost flawless record Down Under.

Out of 19 participations, the 24-time Major winner reigned supreme on 10 occasions in Melbourne. The Serb's first two appearances ended in the first round, as he was bundled out in straight sets by Marat Safin in 2005 and Paul Goldstein in 2006.

Djokovic reached the fourth week of the Happy Slam in 2007, going out in straight sets to eventual winner Roger Federer. And while he won his maiden Major title Down Under the following year, his 2009 and 2010 campaigns were unceremonious as he exited in the quarterfinals to Andy Roddick and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, respectively.

The Serb then won five of the next six editions of the tournament from 2011 to 2016, with his only loss coming in a five-set thriller against Stan Wawrinka in 2014. He, however, struggled with his elbow after turning 30, losing early at the Melbourne Slam to Denis Istomin in 2017 and Hyeon Chung in 2018.

It was business as usual for Novak Djokovic from 2019 though, winning 33 consecutive matches across five tournament appearances (he missed the 2022 edition of the tournament due to a COVID-19 vaccination fiasco). Jannik Sinner played out of his skin end the Serb's streak at the 2024 Australian Open, handing him his ninth loss Down Under.