Jannik Sinner bested Novak Djokovic in four sets at the Australian Open, but it could have been much worse, according to the Serbian's former coach.
One of the most shocking defeats of this year was Djokovic's loss to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open. It wasn't shocking in the sense that nobody saw it coming; it was simply shocking for what it might symbolize.
Djokovic was dominant at the event up until that point, and the fact that he lost so easily simply made a lot of people pause and think about what his future holds. Is this the end of an era? Will he be able to come back? We won't know until Roland Garros, but the match wasn't close.
Even the set Djokovic won didn't really change much because, according to his former coach, Goran Ivanisevic, who talked to Sasa Ozmo, the match was on its way to being a beatdown.
"Yes it really could have ended up as a beat down, he did manage to win that third set and I thought that he might get going then but again there was no real emotion in that fourth set."
"Throughout that whole period in Australia he was a bit hot and cold, first couple of rounds struggling, then against Mannarino and Etchverry better, against Fritz one or two good sets, then one or two bad sets… I mean his level is so high that he could beat those players with one leg."
It wasn't the typical Australian Open for the 24-time major winner, as Ivanisevic noted. Djokovic struggled early, and that got him in trouble against some of the best, such as Sinner. That's why he ultimately lost the match, he wasn't good enough on that day.
"However, against Sinner, Alcaraz, (Daniil) Medvedev, you have to show up. If Novak A turns up, that’s one thing, if Novak B turns up then we have a problem."