Novak Djokovic likely to take break from tennis after Australian Open setback

Novak Djokovic, World number 1 tennis player, is mulling taking a break from tennis after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Italy’s Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open on Friday.

A day earlier, Sinner foiled Djokovic's bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title during the tournament’s semi-final.

Djokovic lost at Melbourne Park for the first time in six years and the Serb called his match against Sinner his “worst ever display in Grand Slams” as the 36-year-old failed to make one break point in the entire game.

The gutted Serbian may not return to the court till March, when Indian Wells Masters start, as per his website. Djokovic will skip the Dubai Championships in February, which he has been playing for the last two years.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner’s calendar remains unsure as he told Serbian media after his semi-final defeat that he needs time to process the loss.

“Let’s see how things will unfold in the future. When you leave the court after a loss, the head is still hot – you are fighting to be rational, but there are many irrational thoughts going through your head,” the world No. 1 said per Tennis Majors.

“I want my thoughts to settle — when I calm down, I will move on and see what tournaments I will play. I made a commitment to myself that I will give it my all this year, with the priority being the Slams and the Olympics. We’ll see whether something will change, in this stage of my life and my career some surprising decisions are maybe more expected compared to twenty years ago.”

Djokovic won three Grand Slams in 2023 and was aiming for a “Golden Slam” — winning all four Slams including the Olympics — this year but the Serb’s dream of achieving the milestone is over.

It must be noted that Jannik Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles Australian Open final on Sunday. It would be the Italian’s first outing in a Grand Slam final while the Russian will feature in his sixth.