Novak Djokovic arrives at the Australian Open semifinals with history within reach and uncertainty underfoot, preparing for a generational clash against defending champion Jannik Sinner that will test whether experience and resilience can still bend a tournament increasingly shaped by youth and power.
The 38-year-old Serb is chasing an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam singles title, which would move him past Margaret Court and deepen his hold on tennis history.
An 11th Australian Open final beckons, but Djokovic’s path has been anything but commanding.
He has not completed a full match since the third round, advancing via a fourth-round walkover and a quarterfinal in which Lorenzo Musetti retired injured after winning the first two sets.
Djokovic admitted he was "lucky this time” to still be standing, conceding he was playing his worst tennis of the tournament before Musetti broke down. The lighter physical load may help, but questions linger over his form after an error-strewn performance that left him unusually vulnerable.
That margin for error shrinks dramatically against Sinner.
The 24-year-old Italian has won their last five meetings and has become Djokovic’s most consistent Grand Slam roadblock, eliminating him in the semifinals of the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon across the past two seasons.
Sinner leads the head-to-head 6-4 and has not dropped a set to Djokovic in a major since 2023.
Riding a 19-match winning streak at Melbourne Park, Sinner has looked every bit the tournament’s standard-bearer. Aside from a third-round scare against American Eliot Spizzirri, when an Extreme Heat Policy delay shifted momentum, he has cruised, capped by a straight-sets dismantling of eighth seed Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals.
Sinner’s semifinal breakthrough against Djokovic at Melbourne two years ago marked a turning point. Since then, he and Carlos Alcaraz have split the past eight Grand Slam titles, forming what many now call the sport’s new axis of power.
Djokovic bristles at the suggestion that he is merely chasing it.
"I don’t feel like I’m chasing, to be honest,” he said, pushing back against comparisons that leap from his early duels with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal straight to the present. "There’s a 15-year period in between where I was dominating the Grand Slams. I’m creating my own history.”
Still, Djokovic acknowledged the challenge. "Are they better right now? Yes, they are,” he said of Sinner and Alcaraz. "But that doesn’t mean I walk out with a white flag.”
Another Sinner victory would not only block Djokovic’s record bid but also further cement the Italian’s grip on Melbourne Park, a venue once considered Djokovic’s personal stronghold.
Alcaraz, Zverev's contrasting semifinal
Friday’s earlier semifinal pairs world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz against Alexander Zverev, a matchup rich in context and contrast.
Alcaraz, 22, is chasing history of his own. A victory in Melbourne would make him the youngest player to complete the career Grand Slam.
He has reached the semifinals with authority, brushing aside sixth seed Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals and showing few signs of vulnerability.
Zverev’s presence is more unexpected. The 28-year-old German entered the tournament after a largely underwhelming 2025 season but has found rhythm and confidence, knocking out American youngster Learner Tien to reach the last four.
His serve has held up, and a more aggressive mindset has paid dividends for a player long criticized for passivity in big moments.
Zverev owns three Grand Slam runner-up finishes, including last year’s Australian Open final loss to Sinner, and remains in pursuit of his first major title. He also carries confidence from his 2024 quarterfinal win over Alcaraz in Melbourne, though the Spaniard has since elevated his game significantly.
"We played high-level tennis in practice,” Alcaraz said. "I’ll be well prepared. If he wants to beat me, he has to sweat a lot.”
The pair are tied 6-6 in their career meetings, including two wins apiece at Grand Slams. In 2024, Zverev beat Alcaraz in Melbourne before Alcaraz returned the favor in the French Open final.