Novak Djokovic is no longer the man to beat on hard surfaces and at Grand Slams with former World No. 10 Arnaud Clement claiming that there are now a couple of players who can defeat him at the biggest stages of the sport.
After recording a 27-1 score in the majors in 2023 and in process winning Australian Open, Roland Garros and only losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of Wimbledon Championships, Djokovic was beaten by Jannik Sinner in the semifinal of this year’s Australian Open in four sets. Deemed by many as a seminal moment in the history of tennis, it was World No. 1’s first loss at Melbourne Park since 2018.
But while legendary Serbian’s elimination from the season-opening slam came as a shock to many, but those familiar with the Sinner’s form and recent record against Djokovic know that it wasn’t merely a surprise. The 20-year-old at the end of the last season humbled Djokovic at the ATP Finals and Davis Cup over a two week period.
Clement suggested that age is not just a number and might be catching up with the 24-time Grand Slam champion who turns 37 in May. He observed that Sinner and other young guns are aware of the fact that the Serbian villain is on the wrong side of 30 and the change of guard is imminent.
“We always wondered who could beat Djokovic on hard and grass. Now a player has just beaten him three times on hard court,” the 2001 Australian Open runner-up told L’Equipe.
“The vision we have of Djokovic is a little called into question. For the first time, in Melbourne, we said to ourselves that he looked a little older than his age (36 years old).
“It’s clear that two or three guys who can stand in his way at Grand Slam tournaments because they are able to stop him in the important moments.
“Of course Djokovic is capable of setting things straight. But, if we take a snapshot of the end of 2023-beginning of 2024, Sinner beat him in matches that really matter, whether in the Davis Cup or in Melbourne. Now that he beat him in the five-set format, he knows he can do it again.”
The Frenchman was far from surprised at Sinner’s progression and the big leap he made by dethroning Hard Courts King at the Australian Open as he believes that the leggy Italian is now part of the new status-quo that includes Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.
“If there was a player capable of making a surprise it was him,” he said. “Given his level in 2023 and his progression, it was clear that he was no longer in the same category.
“At the end of the year, he clearly joined the clan of the four, along with Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.”