If you were thinking Novak Djokovic was done, then think again. Defying age, expectations, and time, Djokovic dug deep to cinch one of the most pivotal victories in his career in his Australian Open semifinal victory against Jannik Sinner (3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4). And it turns out, the doubters had a lot to do with it.

Afterward, Djokovic reflected on his spectacular performance, revealing, “I never stopped doubting. I never stopped believing in myself. There’s a lot of people that doubt me. I see there is a lot of experts all of a sudden that wanted to retire me or have retired me many times the last couple of years.”

“You know, I want to thank them all, because they gave me strength. They gave me motivation to prove them wrong, which I have tonight. For me, it’s not a surprise, to be honest. I know what I’m capable of,” the 38-year-old added. Well, the performance that the Serb put together was a testament to his resilience.

His statement also seemed like a direct response to those who counted him out of the competition. Indeed, just a few days ago, during a press conference, a reporter stated how, once, Novak Djokovic chased Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in his early career, adding that he was now chasing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Well, it didn’t sit well with the Serb, who said, “Well, I find it a little bit disrespectful that you kind of miss out on what happened in between where the times when I started chasing, as you say, Rafa and Roger, and now that I’m chasing Carlos and Jannik, and there’s probably about a 15-year period in between where I was dominating the Grand Slams.”

It wasn’t an easy Australian Open semifinal for Djokovic. He was facing world No. 2 Sinner, the player who had steamrolled the Serb in their last five meetings, who had made all four major finals last year, and who was chasing his third straight Australian Open title.

The odds were stacked heavily against Djokovic, but once again he proved that you can never count him out of a battle.

Sinner cruised to the first set, business as usual, but Djokovic fought back in the second to equalize the match. But in the third set, it looked like Djokovic was struggling with a stomach issue, as he looked visibly sick during a changeover as he requested what appeared to be antacids from his team.

“Whether it was a stomach bug—I don’t know what it is, but just struggled with that. The energy kind of kicked back after some doctor’s miracle pills, and I managed to finish the match on a good note,” he said afterward.

Whatever the pills were, they seemed to do the trick, as Djokovic soon looked energized, though he ceded the third set. But by the end of it, he was beginning to use his signature forehand to devastating effect, blasting shots deep and just out of Sinner’s reach.

An early break in the fourth set quickly set the tone for the rest of the set as the Serb successfully held serve and fended off the Italian’s challenge only to repeat the process in the fifth. While Sinner resorted to 26 aces and sheer power to overwhelm Djokovic, the Serb was more economical in his shotmaking, painting the corners and forcing Sinner to adjust to his tempo as he showed off his elite defense.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion saved all eight break points faced in the fifth set, including three at 0-40, 4-3, in one of the most astounding escapes of the match.

Following his huge semifinal victory, the 38-year-old also had a few words for Sinner.

Novak Djokovic’s special message to Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner’s win streak over Novak Djokovic in their head-to-head finally came to an end at the Australian Open. However, between the two, there was nothing but mutual respect.

Following the match, Djokovic said, “He won the last five matches against me. He had my mobile number, so I had to change my number for tonight. Jokes aside, I told him at the net, ‘Thanks for allowing me at least one in the last couple of years.’ I have tremendous respect for him. Incredible player.”

In their head-to-head, the Italian stayed undefeated since the 2023 Davis Cup Finals. So, this victory was long overdue for the Serb.

Novak Djokovic also acknowledged Sinner’s talent, stating, “I mean, he pushes you to the very limit, which is what he did tonight to me. So he deserves a great round.” Now, the 38-year-old will be heading to the final, with one challenger left: Carlos Alcaraz.