Djokovic Pushes Back Against the Narrative
In the early hours of Saturday morning in Melbourne, Novak Djokovic was not only battling physical exhaustion — he was also confronting a narrative that has followed him for much of the past two seasons.
After edging Jannik Sinner in a five-set Australian Open semi-final that ended well after 1:30am, Djokovic addressed critics who have questioned whether age and injuries have finally caught up with him.
“I never stopped believing in myself,” Djokovic said.
“There are a lot of people who doubt me. I see there are a lot of experts all of a sudden who wanted to retire me.”
The remarks were delivered calmly but carried unmistakable defiance.
Motivation, Not Bitterness
Djokovic made it clear that the criticism had not unsettled him — instead, it had sharpened his resolve.
“I want to thank them, because they gave me strength,” he said.
“They gave me motivation to prove them wrong.”
The Serbian stressed that nights like Friday reaffirm why belief remains central to elite performance, especially when physical limitations are increasingly scrutinised.
“For me, it’s not a surprise,” he added. “I know what I’m capable of.”
Winning Without Feeling Your Best
Djokovic admitted that the match against Sinner was not played at his technical peak, but said that navigating such moments has defined his longevity at the top.
“I’ve had many matches in my career where you’re not feeling your best,” he explained.
“You try to find a way to win with everything that you possibly have.”
That approach, he said, was the difference between survival and defeat against an opponent who had beaten him in their previous five meetings.
Managing the Physical Toll
Djokovic acknowledged that his route to the semi-finals included two walkovers earlier in the tournament, but rejected any suggestion that luck played a role in his victory over Sinner.
“I came out with great clarity about the strategy and game plan that needed to be executed,” he said.
“One thing is to imagine how you want to play, and another thing is to execute it.”
With recovery time limited before the final, Djokovic admitted uncertainty about how his body would respond.
“It’s almost 3am. I cannot make any predictions right now,” he said.
“I’ll use every hour I possibly can to recover.”
Belief as the Constant
As Djokovic prepares for another Australian Open final — and a chance to claim a record 25th Grand Slam title — his message was unmistakable: belief, not age, remains the defining factor.
In a sport increasingly driven by youth and power, Djokovic’s defiance continues to redraw assumptions about decline — one late-night victory at a time.
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