© Getty Images Sport – Sarah Reed
Coach Goran Ivanisevic has confirmed that Novak Djokovic wasn’t injured or dealing with anything during an Australian Open loss to Jannik Sinner but it was just a day where the Serb was far from his best game.
At this year’s Australian Open, Djokovic’s run ended earlier than he anticipated after Sinner handed him a 6-1 6-2 6-7 (6) 6-3 loss.
Not only that Djokovic lost to Sinner, he pretty much got dominated by the Italian and it was also the first time that the world No. 1 didn’t create a single break chance during an entire Grand Slam match. For Djokovic, it was his first defeat in an Australian Open semifinal match and also his first loss at Melbourne Park since 2018.
After beating Djokovic, 22-year-old Sinner also defeated Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final to lift his maiden Grand Slam title.
“Sooner or later he had to lose, we were all aware of that. It’s just a shame that it happened this way, but against Sinner if you’re not 100%, you have nothing to ask for,” Ivanisevic told Jutarnji.
“And even if you’re at 100 percent (against Sinner), you can still lose. However, the whole Australian Open was somehow not right for Novak, from the first round onwards. Well, let’s move on, nothing too tragic.”
Ivanisevic: Djokovic was healthy against Sinner
Although Djokovic only blamed his performance for the Sinner loss, some still speculated that the Serb was injured or dealing with an illness. Leading up to the Australian Open, Djokovic battled a wrist issue at the United Cup.
“No, nothing bothered him, he was healthy, but it just didn’t work out… It can happen to him too, he’s flesh and blood too. On the other hand, if he was going to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was Sinner,” Ivanisevic said.
Currently, Ivanisevic is back home in Croatia. In the same interview, Ivanisevic confirmed that Djokovic’s next tournament will be the Indian Wells Masters in early March. For Djokovic, it will be her first appearance in the desert since 2019.
