"Novak Djokovic is a man not a machine, we cannot always expect him to win every Grand Slam" - Viktor Troicki backs Serb after Australian Open SF exit

Viktor Troicki has defended compatriot Novak Djokovic after the latter's disappointing exit from the recently-concluded Australian Open.

The Serb has been widely criticized for his underwhelming semifinal display against eventual champion Jannik Sinner. But Troicki said Djokovic is not a "machine," suggesting that the expectations from the 24-time Slam champion are too high.

Sinner had the edge over Djokovic going into their Australian Open clash, having won two of their previous three meetings. However, the nature of the Serb's performance shocked the tennis fraternity. He looked a mere shadow of himself, and as a result, Sinner ran away with the first two sets 6-1, 6-2.

Djokovic narrowly won the third set 7-6(6) after a tense tiebreaker, giving himself some hope of getting back into the contest. However, the Italian eventually overpowered him 6-3 in the fourth set to make his way into the final.

After the match, Djokovic himself conceded that his performance was well below his own expectations. But despite the admission, his critics had a field day.

In a recent interview with Sportal.rs, Troicki backed his friend wholeheartedly, saying that the 10-time Australian Open winner is bound to bounce back after the disappointing defeat.

"I think he [Novak Djokovic] can do much better than that [Australian Open 2024 performances] and he himself is aware of it. Of course, he is a man and not a machine, we cannot always expect him to win every Grand Slam. Young players are getting better and better, they are freer, they are progressing."

Troicki also pointed to the difficult task of maintaining the kind of consistency that Djokovic has become famed for.

"It is not easy to maintain that continuity, and always in top form. That's obvious. Unfortunately, he lost this time, but we all know he doesn't give up and I'm sure he'll be back soon."

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Novak Djokovic set to miss Serbia's upcoming Davis Cup outing, says Viktor Troicki

Novak Djokovic at the 2024 Australian Open - Day 13

Where Novak Djokovic plays next remains to be seen, but Viktor Troicki did say recently that Djokovic would not play a part in Serbia's Davis Cup qualifier against Slovakia. Troicki, Serbia's Davis Cup captain, also stated via the aforementioned source that the 36-year-old is unwinding with his family in Spain.

"I don't believe he will come [to the Davis Cup], he is in Spain with his family," Troicki said.

Djokovic made it clear several times towards the end of last year that in 2024, his focus would solely be on adding to his Grand Slam tally and a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. But the next Grand Slam — the French Open — is more than three months away.

It will be interesting to see if Djokovic decides to play in a tournament or two in the buildup to the biggest clay tournament on the tennis calendar.