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Jannik Sinner making changes in response to Novak Djokovic defeat in Australian Open semi-finals - 'Taught me a lot'
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Published 16/02/2026 at 09:24 GMT
Jannik Sinner suffered a tough five-set defeat in his most recent match against Novak Djokovic, when he was eliminated from the Australian Open in the semi-finals. Sinner will compete at this week's Qatar Open, marking his return to the court for competitive tennis, and he said he had taken some lessons on board from his loss as he looked to make some improvements.
Alcaraz and Sinner star in best shots from Australian Open
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Former men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner said his recent Australian Open semi-final against Novak Djokovic "taught me a lot".
The 24-year-old Italian is ranked No. 2 in the world, with rival Carlos Alcaraz extending his lead at the top of the rankings after he lifted the title in Melbourne last month.
Sinner is now preparing for his first-ever appearance at the Qatar Open in Doha, his first competitive tennis since he was eliminated in the season’s first Grand Slam event in the last four.
Sinner was 6-3 3-6 6-4 up, before his Serbian opponent took the decisive fourth and fifth sets for victory. Djokovic would go on to lose to Alcaraz in the final.
The Italian had come in as the favourite in Australia, having won the two previous editions. Before the semi-final match-up, Sinner had won each of their most recent five meetings, but Djokovic proved the winner in another of his famous five-set epics.
Speaking ahead of the event in Doha, which begins on Monday, February 16, Sinner told Sky Sports that he would be making changes to his game after learning some lessons from the defeat.
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Highlights: Djokovic beats Sinner in thriller to set up Alcaraz final
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"The match against Nole taught me a lot," he explained. "I think it was a great match, both on my part and on his. I had my chances. Sometimes it doesn’t go as you hope, but that’s sport.
"We’re changing small details on the court, things that take a bit of time to become as natural as possible. But he gave me good feedback."
While losing a Grand Slam semi-final is a serious disappointment for any competitor, Sinner said he would not go overboard in his reaction, and that it was natural he would suffer defeat in big matches sometimes.
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He added: "We must not forget that sometimes losing is normal; it happens. Now we’ll see how it goes moving forward. I experienced it in a very normal way.
"I am 24 years old, and I just want to play good tennis anywhere in the world, that’s all. Sometimes, it’s okay to lose.
"What I have done in the last two years, along with Alcaraz, has attracted a lot of attention. It just happened as it did.
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Watch: Top 5 moments of Sinner's Australian Open run
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"Now, let’s try to get back into the rhythm, feel the tournament pressure again, and see what happens."
Sinner and Alcaraz dominated the 2025 season, with the Italian reaching the final of all four majors, winning in Australia and at Wimbledon, though he was beaten by his Spanish rival at Roland-Garros and the US Open.
Sinner also ended the season in style as he added the 2025 ATP Tour Finals title to the first one he claimed the year before.
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