Novak Djokovic will be starting to believe that this tournament could be the one he has been waiting so long for, as his quest for a 25th Grand Slam title goes on.
After all, since winning his last major at the 2023 US Open, he has been frustratingly shut out by two men: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
He has remained more than capable of competing with them on a technical level, but physically, he is so far behind them.
After all, he is over 15 years older than both of them; age catches up with everyone eventually.
Who has impressed you most so far at the Australian Open?
Particularly at the Grand Slam level, the jump up to five-set tennis has proven a step too far, with various injuries halting his chances.
However, John Isner thinks that this Australian Open could be the chance for Novak Djokovic, especially after the boost he’s just been granted.
Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open huge boost
Speaking on his Nothing Major podcast, the big-serving American was assessing the Serbian’s chances of creating history in Melbourne this month.
And, he could not do so without mentioning the fact that Djokovic was handed a walkover into the quarter-finals due to Jakub Mensik’s injury.
This granted him safe passage through the fourth round, now set to face Lorenzo Musetti.
Isner spoke about what a huge moment this could be for Djokovic: “It’s a big positive. He does not need to play himself into form at this stage. The less time on court the better for Novak. This is huge for him. It’s tough luck for his next opponent, Musetti. But he could not be coming into the quarterfinals any fresher. It’s not possible whatsoever.
“A straight sets victory three times and a walkover. He is feeling really, really good.
“He is going to have his hands full against Musetti, but this is a big deal. It keeps him very, very fresh.”
This could be Novak Djokovic’s big chance for Grand Slam number 25
Djokovic will be well aware of the opportunity that has presented itself here in Melbourne, where he has won the title on ten occasions.
It remains the most successful tournament of his career, and many have pointed it out as his best chance to win that 25th Grand Slam title.
Well, he certainly won’t be given a greater slice of fortune, given how he has carved through his opening three rounds with straight-set wins before this latest walkover.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of winning the Australian Open out of 10
He now faces Musetti, whom he boasts a 9-1 head-to-head record against, which could be another exercise in energy conservation.
Djokovic could very easily end up finally getting the chance to face Sinner and then Alcaraz, with a clean bill of health. It would be really interesting to see how those matches play out if so.
