What occurred and what it means for Sinner after Djokovic loses at the Australian Open

Australian city of Melbourne When the two players faced off in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Friday, there were many reasons to believe that Jannik Sinner would ruin Novak Djokovic's hopes of winning a record-tying 25 major titles.

With 15 straight set victories prior to the match, Sinner had been the most dominant player in the competition. He was also the younger of the two due to his dominance in the first rounds; Djokovic had played five matches and accumulated nearly four more hours on the court. Furthermore, Sinner was the sole player on the circuit to have defeated Djokovic twice in the previous 18 months, making recent history.

And yet, not a single indication whatsoever suggested Sinner may deliver Djokovic one of his most unexpected Slam defeats. Three things may be learned from Sinner's semifinal victory against Djokovic, which came in sets of 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-3.

We have never seen Djokovic defeat himself in this manner.

The Djokovic who onto the court at Rod Laver Arena for this quarterfinal was unlike anything he had ever shown at Melbourne Park, the home of nearly all of his most memorable tennis matches.

Since the first game of the match, there have been warning flags. Sinner was able to comfortably hold the serve after Djokovic blasted two balls long and one wide. Was it more relaxed? Not quite, more like a worrisome motif that persisted throughout the competition.

Djokovic's ability to locate his range during rallies entirely vanished as he committed a total of 15 unforced mistakes in the first set and another 14 in the second. Sinner lost just three games and had taken a commanding lead of two sets to love in an instant.

By winning the third set in a tiebreak, the ten-time Australian Open winner was able to escape losing in straight sets, but there was never any sense that the momentum was changing. In the third game of the fourth set, Sinner forced another break of service and didn't let up as Djokovic's mistakes and annoyance mounted.

Djokovic made 54 unintentional mistakes at the end of the game, about twice as many as Sinner. He took home a tournament-low 25 percent of return points and 67% of first-serve points. The most striking figure, however, was Sinner's total points earned—he ended up with 30 more than Djokovic did during the game. Actually, Djokovic's 34% victory rate in the competition was the lowest it has been since 2007.

"You know, I was kind of shocked with my level, in a bad way," Djokovic remarked following the loss. "In the first two sets, I wasn't doing a lot of things correctly. I suppose this is among my least enjoyable Grand Slam encounters to date. That is, at least, what I can recall."

Due to Djokovic's difficulties and Sinner's outstanding serving, the world No. 1 never even had a chance to see a break point, which is a first for him in a significant career. It was the kind of lopsided semifinal at the Australian Open that Djokovic normally gets to play in. He was losing the battle this time.

The next generation wave is led by more than simply Carlos Alcaraz.

Wilfried Tsonga, Jo. Wawrinka Stan. Istomin Denis. Chung Hyeon. And now, Sinner.

Only five guys have defeated Djokovic at the Australian Open since he won a Grand Slam title there in 2008. And while each of the five games was unexpected in its own manner, Sinner was the one who defeated Melbourne Park's King in a way that was both stunning and overpowering.

It was, in many respects, an Italian performance reminiscent of Djokovic. He made sure that Djokovic had to play shots he didn't want to, hunted balls down from all around the court, and easily navigated through his service games. Sinner performed well when he had break point possibilities and gave his all when the game was close.

"His serve has really improved, in my opinion. He's doing a great job hitting his corners. Djokovic praised Sinner for his "more accurate and larger serves these days." "He was usually quite controlled and serene on the court, but I believe he may have found it difficult to win the major matches at crucial times. But for him, it's starting to come together now. His way is excellent."

Sinner appeared to be preparing for a breakthrough season last year. The 22-year-old fell to Djokovic in straight sets in the Wimbledon semifinals, but a few months later, he won his first Masters 1000 championship in Canada. Sinner led Italy to Davis Cup victory after placing second in the ATP Finals to cap out the year. He experienced victory against Djokovic at both tournaments, which has boosted his confidence.

"Knowing that you can defeat a single player makes you feel better," Sinner said following the greatest victory of his burgeoning career. "Playing against him three times in ten days at the end of last year was an enormous honor for me because, while you can train with him, each match is unique. This really seems to have aided me."

In less than two months, Sinner—the youngest man to accomplish it since Djokovic in 2008—made it to the Australian Open final. Furthermore, he will start Sunday's match as the favorite to win the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, no matter who he faces.

You write off Djokovic at your own risk.

Somebody may have written the Djokovic obituary because of this defeat. They will contend that if he can be defeated at Melbourne Park, he can be defeated anywhere, and that at 36, Father Time has finally caught up with him. But a champion just cannot be written out.