The tennis world just can’t catch a break. Following Carlos Alcaraz’s staggering, five-hour-and-27-minute escape from Alexander Zverev on one side of the Australian Open semifinal is witnessing a clash between Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic. The Italian is trying to defend his crown, while the Serb is aiming for that 25th Grand Slam title. However, the tournament has already shown us the heights that these athletes are pushed to.

As seen on social media footage, during the third set of the second semifinal match, where Sinner was leading the set 4-3, Djokovic leaned into a towel and puked in it. However, there was more. A ball kid immediately came to the 38-year-old and handed him some tablets, which he took and was later seen heading back to the match with his racket.

This particular scene was a reminder of what these players go through and how tough the conditions are inside the Aussie court. However, the exact scene was a mirror of what happened with Carlos Alcaraz during his own semifinal match.

While at first it looked like the Spaniard would just cruise to a straight-set victory, the tides turned when he suffered cramps during the third set, affecting his upper right leg and groin. This is where Zverev took charge and secured an equalizer to keep his own dreams alive at the Australian Open.

These two incidents that unfolded at the Grand Slam semifinal showcased how high-stakes tennis games can be. Djokovic, who is 38 years old, is reaching the end of his career, and while he has that competitive fire in him, conditions like this can be grueling even for someone who has 24 Grand Slams in his career. However, this type of scene isn’t his first time.

Not Novak Djokovic’s first rodeo

At the 2025 Shanghai Masters, apart from the heated tennis action, the conditions were also boiling. Officials confirmed that the weather was scorching with 30°C (86ºF), and the humidity was 70%. And this heat got Novak Djokovic.

The Serb was seen throwing up on more than one occasion on the court, and he didn’t deny it, stating, “It’s crazy humid, to be honest. I don’t recall the weather being so humid in China. I’ve been saying it before … it’s brutal when you have over 80% of humidity day after day, for the guys, particularly when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, you know, it’s even, even more brutal. For me, biologically a bit more challenging to deal with it.”

This comment was made by the 38-year-old, who was the oldest man in the event following his round of 32 match against Yannick Hanfmann. However, despite the grueling conditions, the Serb went on to fight till the semifinals, where he fell against Valentin Vacherot.