Want 10 Per Cent Of Tonight's Tickets: Novak Djokovic After Thrilling Win Over Jannik Sinner
By the time Novak Djokovic finally turned up to face the microphones at Rod Laver Arena, the clock had crept past 2 a.m., his body was clearly running on fumes, and yet his mind was buzzing.
By the time Novak Djokovic finally turned up to face the microphones at Rod Laver Arena, the clock had crept past 2 a.m., his body was clearly running on fumes, and yet his mind was buzzing. What he had just pulled off was too big, too improbable. "Loss of words right now... it feels surreal, to be honest," Djokovic said, still catching his breath after overturning a two-sets-to-one deficit to beat Jannik Sinner in one of the most dramatic Australian Open semi-finals in recent memory.
He told the crowd," I think you guys got your return for the ticket today. That's for sure. I want 10% of tonight's tickets home, No negotiations"
At 38, Djokovic had arrived at this match carrying more questions than certainty. He hadn't won a completed match since the third round. Sinner had beaten him five times in a row. The Italian was the two-time defending champion, younger, fresher, and widely considered the best hard-court player in the world right now. For perhaps the first time in a match of this magnitude, Djokovic was the underdog.
And yet, four hours later, history had bent once more.
Djokovic spoke about the quality and intensity of the contest, instinctively reaching back to the benchmark moments of his career. "It reminded me of 2012, when I played Rafa in the final," he said, referencing the nearly six-hour epic that still defines physical endurance at Melbourne Park. "That level of intensity... I knew that was the only way for me to have a chance tonight."
There was humour too, self-awareness mixed with respect. "He won the last five matches against me," Djokovic smiled, before adding, "He had my mobile number, so I had to change my number for tonight." Then came the sincerity. "Jokes aside, I have tremendous respect for him. Incredible player. He pushes you to the very limit, which is what he did tonight."
Sinner's performance warranted that praise. He served 26 aces, controlled long stretches of the match, and repeatedly forced Djokovic into uncomfortable physical territory. When the Italian went up two sets to one, the finish looked near. Djokovic admitted as much through his body language during the third set, where movement became laboured and energy dipped.
Asked later about comments he had made at last year's US Open - where he suggested the younger generation was playing at a "different level" - Djokovic pushed back gently. "I wasn't wrong," he said. "I said it would be very difficult, but not impossible." Then came the line that captured his mindset perfectly: "I just had to find that level."
Finding it meant standing on the baseline and refusing to give ground. It meant taking the ball early, attacking Sinner's forehand, and serving with precision in the tightest moments. It meant surviving five break points early in the fifth set with fearless shot-making, the kind that has defined his career for nearly two decades.
It also meant drawing energy from the crowd, something Djokovic acknowledged with emotion. "Some legends stayed up to 2 a.m.," he said, gesturing around the stadium. "Thank you so much for being here. I cannot thank you enough for the support." He called it one of the best atmospheres he has experienced in Australia - high praise from a man who has played 11 finals here.
There was a touching awareness, too, of time and fragility. When told by an interviewer that fans cherished every chance to watch him play, Djokovic nodded. "There's no guarantee that I'll be back in a year," he said softly. It wasn't dramatic, just honest - a rare glimpse of vulnerability from someone who has spent his career redefining longevity.
The conversation eventually turned to Sunday's final, where Carlos Alcaraz awaits. Djokovic admitted he had watched Alcaraz's five-set win earlier in the day, joking that as "an old man" he would have preferred an earlier bedtime. He laughed about asking for "10 percent of tonight's ticket sales" before turning serious again.
"To be honest, it feels like winning already tonight," he said. "But I know I have to come back in a couple of days and face the number one in the world." The ambition was still there, burning as brightly as ever. "I just hope I'll have enough gas to go toe-to-toe with him."
If Djokovic does lift the trophy on Sunday, it will be his 11th Australian Open title, his 25th Grand Slam, and another record layered onto a career that already defies comparison.
Novak Djokovic