Novak Djokovic made history at the Australian Open, becoming the oldest man in the Open Era to reach the final after an epic five-set victory over Jannik Sinner. The 38-year-old snapped his losing streak against Sinner and now faces Carlos Alcaraz for the title.
Djokovic’s triumph also surpasses Ken Rosewall’s 1972 record, when Rosewall reached the final at 37 years and 2 days. Djokovic, at 38, endured a four-hour, nine-minute battle under the lights at Rod Laver Arena, moving within one win of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam and his 11th Australian Open crown.
Coming into the semi-final, Djokovic carried the weight of a five-match losing streak against Sinner and a 2025 season defined by near-misses, exiting at the semi-final stage in all four majors. After trailing two sets to one, Djokovic mounted a relentless comeback, saving 16 of 18 break points to eventually win 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
“I am lost for words right now. It feels surreal. Playing for over four hours, nearly 2 am… The level of intensity and quality was extremely high, and I knew that was the only way to win tonight against him. He had won the past five matches against me, so I had to change my mobile number for tonight,” Djokovic said, reflecting on his milestone.
Looking Ahead to the Final vs Alcaraz
This marked Djokovic’s first five-set match since Roland Garros 2024, where he escaped against Francisco Cerundolo. His reward is a clash against Carlos Alcaraz, who earlier played the longest semi-final in Australian Open history, a five-hour, 27-minute win over Alexander Zverev to reach his first final Down Under.
“I watched the Alcaraz-Zverev match. What an incredible battle. I saw Carlos after his match, and he apologized for delaying the start of mine. I told him I’m an old man and need to sleep early. I’m looking forward to seeing him in a few days,” Djokovic added.
Djokovic now aims to cap his historic run with another Grand Slam title, setting the stage for a blockbuster Australian Open final against the young Spanish star.
