Jannik Sinner will be looking to bounce back from a crushing five-set defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.
The Italian had won the previous two Australian Open events, with his last defeat coming in 2022 against Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Novak Djokovic produced a stunning display to defeat Sinner, who will now not be in action until mid-February.
Rafael Nadal, who has just arrived for the Australian Open closing ceremony, has discussed how Sinner will respond to the loss to Djokovic.
Rafael Nadal backs Jannik Sinner to respond after Novak Djokovic defeat
Nadal felt for Sinner as he crashed out of the Australian Open to Djokovic, but the King of Clay does not think the Italian will suffer a downturn in form now.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nadal said: “I think the semi-final with Djokovic was very difficult for Sinner. He was the favourite to win, but he met a player that has a very special history with this tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz WILL complete the Career Grand Slam before Jannik Sinner – discuss…
“He had many opportunities but he couldn’t use them, because Novak upped his level in the right moment. I think you can learn from everything, losses and wins.”
Despite the setback, Nadal believes Sinner will bounce back in rapid fashion during the 2026 season.
“But players like Jannik, who have good ability to self-critical and who are sincerely humble, don’t need to lose to know where to improve.
“But certain matches can be a little alarm bell to make you understand where to improve to not let them happen again.
“Sinner reached the semi-final anyways, played a great tournament, the reality is that you can’t win always. I have no doubts he will bounce back, like it already happened.”
Sinner’s defeat to Djokovic at the Australian Open was his first competitive loss since the Shanghai Masters in September.
When is Jannik Sinner back in action?
After his early defeat at the Australian Open, Sinner will now have 17 days before he is next in competitive action.
The Italian has confirmed that he will play the 2026 Qatar Open, a tournament he is yet to win in his career.
Entries for the 2026 Qatar Open
| Player | Seed |
|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 1 |
| Jannik Sinner | 2 |
| Novak Djokovic | 3 |
| Félix Auger-Aliassime | 4 |
| Alexander Bublik | 5 |
| Daniil Medvedev | 6 |
| Andrey Rublev | 7 |
| Jakub Menšík | 8 |
Sinner will join Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Felix Auger-Aliassime at the ATP 500 event, which begins on 16 February.
The tournament will also act as one of the return tournaments for Jack Draper, who is set to play in Doha, as well as the Rotterdam Open and the Davis Cup in February.
