Novak Djokovic, the best tennis player of all time, held a press conference after a fortunate passage to the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Lorenzo Musetti was very close to a feat, leading 2:0 in sets against Novak, but then he got injured in the third and had to retire. Djokovic thus moved on without winning a set in the quarterfinals, and let us remind you that previously Jakub Mensik also handed him the match without a fight.
“Honestly, I saw for the first time in the third game of the third set that he was struggling, but I talked to members of his team, my former manager Edoardo told me that he was complaining at the beginning of the second as well. I didn’t see it bothering him then, but over time it most likely got worse,” Djokovic began.
He talked about the next rival – it will be either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton.
“I played Ben only once in the semifinals of the US Open, if we get a chance to play it will be a good match. I lost to Jannik, four or five times in a row, he is playing at the highest level with Carlos. He is the absolute favorite, but you never know. I hope that I will pull out my best game to have a chance, today I didn’t play anywhere near my best and I definitely have to change that.”
He himself faced pain during the match with Musetti, but blisters caused the problem for him.
“I had a blister that had to be bandaged again, that is my biggest concern. I have always had minor problems with my body, at least when it comes to me, every day. I don’t have major problems. I still don’t have a problem moving the way I want, it was extremely physical, it’s an individual sport, today’s example of Musetti shows how challenging the sport is, he was the better player on the court, he was close to winning and he was in control, and then something happens. If you are part of a team sport someone replaces you for a set, you take care of the problems and you have a better chance to finish the match. That is the beauty of tennis that it is not possible because you have few challenges. You always have to be at the highest level especially in this phase of a Grand Slam, sometimes these kinds of things happen in the heat of battle, you have to push your body to the ultimate limits, you don’t move so fluidly, there is a big risk of injuries. That happened to me a few times last year and the feeling is terrible, you can’t play the way you want because your body fails you. It’s hard to swallow, but it is what it is.”
Even when Novak Djokovic was down 2 sets, he refused to accept a point that wasn’t his.
— Danny (@DjokovicFan_) January 28, 2026
Sportsmanship at its finest. 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/IgBpiUweJl
Djokovic also played in the semifinals of all four Grand Slams last year.
“I wouldn’t want to take anything away from Musetti’s variety and the quality of his tennis, but I think I was below the level especially compared to the level I have shown in the tournament until today. I have to play better, there is no doubt, I have to play well, the body is holding up and when it’s like that I always have a chance, it’s a GS semifinal, motivation is always there, it has to be, otherwise what is the point of competing. I have been in this situation many times, I was there four times last year, I am glad that I repeated the best result from last year. It will be increasingly difficult from here, but I must be ready. I don’t know if I will play well or not, but I will give my best.”
The schedule is relentless.
“There are many conversations about the calendar, it is the beginning of the season, on one hand the players are rested, they are in good physical condition, they can perform well. There is no risk of injury, it is a double-edged sword. The preseason is the only part of the year when you can push yourself physically, but also mentally progress in some things, to put in more work than usual during the season. That can result in more work, on one hand it is understandable. The fact that you haven’t played in an official tournament for a month and a half or two, of course the body functions differently when you play best-of-five sets. That is one of the things that affects injuries and retirements. I didn’t have major injuries in Australia in the first half of the year, and for the last five, six years I have had injuries every season. In my case maybe it’s the years, maybe something else, in a way the body is shocked, I will do more than I otherwise would because it is the beginning of the season and I want to be good.”
Novak also talked about Coco Gauff, who angrily broke a racket in the hallway after a difficult loss in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
I was on my way home. Heal well my friend. ❤️🩹 pic.twitter.com/wUwBy8oH9X
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 28, 2026
“I saw what happened with Coco, I sympathize with her. I know what it’s like to break a racket, I’ve done it several times in my career, I know how frustrated you can be when you underperform. Here you can’t hide anywhere, to vent frustration in a way that won’t be caught by a camera, but we live in a society where content is everything, so that’s a different conversation. It’s hard for me to see the trend changing and the cameras being removed, if you look it will be like it has been or even more cameras. I’m surprised there are no cameras while we shower, that’s the next step. Boundaries should be set and it should be said these are our limits. People want to see what they talk about with coaches, they want to see us arriving by car, how we walk, so you have to be careful. I’ve been on the tour for a while, so I remember a time when that wasn’t the case. Now it’s a transition so that sometimes something is forgotten, it’s scary because sometimes you want to relax. You don’t want the public to see all of that, but you obviously have to accept it.”
He spoke about great rivalries – then and now.
“I feel it’s a bit like disrespect for what I did between chasing Nadal and Federer and now Alcaraz and Sinner, in between there are 15 years when I dominated at the Grand Slams. I don’t feel like I’m chasing. Roger and Rafa will always be my greatest rivals, I respect what Sinner and Alcaraz have done and what they will do, that is a natural cycle in sport, you have two superstars and maybe a third who will appear and I will cheer for him because I was always the third. That is good for tennis. How do I feel? I’m not chasing, I’m creating my own history, I want to reach the trophy match always, that is my motivation. Whether they are better than me and other guys now, the quality is phenomenal, does that mean I will come out with a white flag? No! I will fight until the last point to challenge them,” Djokovic emphasized.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: Printscreen X