Novak Djokovic's SF loss to Jannik Sinner results in 1st Australian Open final without Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or the Serb since 2005

Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals on Friday (January 26), setting up the first final at the Melbourne Major without Federer, Nadal, or the Serb since 2005.

Sinner defeated Djokovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 to reach his maiden Australian Open final. The 22-year-old halted Djokovic's 33-match winning streak at Melbourne and also prevented the Serbian from lifting the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup for a record-extending 11th time. This was also Djokovic's first loss in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

Often referred to as the 'Big Three,' Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic have a combined total of 18 Australian Open trophies. Roger Federer, who retired in 2022, was the first among the three to win the title, achieving this feat in 2004 and securing it five more times.

Rafael Nadal has won the trophy twice, first in 2009 and again in 2022. The Spaniard withdrew from this year's Australian Open with an injury sustained at the Brisbane International, which marked his comeback tournament after 12 months on the sidelines.

Novak Djokovic entered the Melbourne Major as the defending champion. In last year's edition, the Serb defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to clinch the title for an unprecedented 10th time.

The defeat on Friday was Djokovic's third against Sinner on the ATP Tour, with the Serb having won four of his encounters against the Italian. However Sinner has secured victories in two of their last three matches.

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Djokovic - “this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I've ever played”

2024 Australian Open (Getty images)

Novak Djokovic made a damning assessment of his performance in the 2024 Australian Open semi-final defeat against Jannik Sinner, saying it was "one of the worst Grand Slam matches" he has ever played.

Djokovic said that he was shocked with his level and admitted that there wasn't much he got right in the first two sets - which he lost 6-1, 6-2. The 24-time Major winner committed 54 unforced errors in the match.

“I was, in a way, shocked with my level, in a bad way. There was not much I was doing right in the first two sets. I guess this is one of the worst Grand Slam matches I've ever played. At least that I remember,” he said.

However, Djokovic complimented Sinner for his performance, noting that the Italian was better than him in "every aspect of the game."

“Not a very pleasant feeling playing this way. But at the same time, credit to him for doing everything better than me, in every aspect of the game,” he added.