"This is his moment, honestly; It could have easily been his match" - Novak Djokovic on Australian Open 1R opponent Dino Prizmic after momentous win

Novak Djokovic was full of praise for his 2024 Australian Open first-round opponent Dino Prizmic after the teenager posed a tremendous challenge to the defending champion.

Djokovic had an unideal start to his campaign at the Australian Open on Sunday, January 14. The Serb, who is in quest for a record 11th title at the event, faced Croatian qualifier Dino Prizmic in the opening round.

Djokovic started off strong, clinching the first set 6-2. However, his 18-year-old opponent rose to the challenge in the second set, stealing it 7-6(5) in the tiebreak. Prizmic, the 2023 French Open boys’ champion, put up a tough fight in the third and the fourth set as well, but the World No. 1 ultimately earned the victory 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 after four hours and one minute of play.

It is worth noting that this was Novak Djokovic’s first opening-round victory at a Grand Slam that was pushed to the fifth hour.

Following the hard-fought win, the Serb had nothing but appreciation for his teenage opponent.

“He deserved every applause, every credit that he got tonight. He's amazing player. I must say. So mature for his age. He handled himself on the court incredibly well. This is his moment, honestly. It could have easily been his match as well,” the Serb said in his on-court interview.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion applauded Dino Prizmic’s tenacity, saying:

“He fought even though he was for love down and a break point down for five love, he fought he showed great mentality resilience. He, he made me really run for my money for sure tonight, that's for sure."

He also praised the World No. 178’s playing style and his ability to perform well in his first Grand Slam main draw attempt at the Australian Open.

“I love the way he's using every inch of a court. He's comfortable to come in; he is defending incredibly well. Just amazing performance for someone that is 18 years old, that never had an experience of playing on a big stage, big kudos to him, to his team, to his family,” Novak Djokovic said.

The 36-year-old, who is Dino Prizmic's idol, expressed his wish to attend the Croat's matches in the future, stating that he is a force to be reckoned with.

“I certainly want to be in his corner. So, hopefully he will invite me because he's gonna make some big things in his career. That's for sure. We're gonna see a lot of him, a lot of him in the future,” he added.

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Novak Djokovic on defeating Dino Prizmic at Australian Open 2024: "When you think about it, I'm double his age"

Novak Djokovic and Dino Prizmic pictured at the 2024 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic also hilariously pointed at his and Dino Prizmic’s age difference to give himself some extra credit for getting over the line in the opener.

“Well, I started off very well, for a 36 year old guy,” he joked in his on-court interview, “But jeez when you think about it, I'm double his age. It's reality. It's hard tonight. But I'm really trying to enjoy every moment on the court. Obviously I struggled in many different moments tonight, but it was credit to him.”

Novak Djokovic has now extended his Australian Open winning streak to 29 matches. The Serb, who is the tournament’s most successful champion, is chasing a record-setting 25th Grand Slam in addition to his 11th title in Melbourne.

In his second round, the World No. 1 will face a home hope in either Alexei Popyrin or Marc Polmans.

“I haven't played here in a year. it's, it's been a very short off season. So physically, I'm still finding myself out there on the court. but now I have a couple of days till my next match. So hopefully I'll be able to be at my best for next match,” he said about his upcoming Australian Open clash.