After a five-set battle, the Serbian reaches the final: “I have incredible respect for Sinner—only legends stay on the court until 2 a.m.”

He spreads his arms, kneels, and makes the sign of the cross. Novak Djokovic, the eternal hero, defeats Jannik Sinner and returns to the Grand Slam final. The dream of a 25th title is still alive; Carlos Alcaraz stands in his way, but this Nole seems capable of anything, filled with an energy similar to the one that led him to win Olympic gold against the Spaniard in 2024: “I can’t find the words,” he says, still in a daze. “It feels surreal to play for 4 hours and finish at 2 a.m.; it reminds me of the match against Rafa in 2012. I have incredible respect for Jannik; he pushed me to the limit. There are some legends who’ve stayed until 2 a.m. I love this passionate connection. This might have been the night I’ve had the most support in Australia.”

on the way to the final— In recent days and last year, he said that Sinner and Alcaraz are on another level: “I said it would be hard to beat them, but not that I wouldn’t try. The match between Zverev and Alcaraz was incredible; I saw Carlos before it started, and he apologized for delaying my match. I told him I’m getting old and need to go to bed early…”. The pursuit of legendary status excites him: “I feel like I’ve almost won already. I can’t wait to face Carlos, the world No. 1. And I hope the gods will let the best player win.”