For once, Novak Djokovic came out on the wrong side of history. A week after brushing aside Jannik Sinner to win a record seventh title at the ATP Finals, Djokovic was beaten by the 22-year-old twice in a day as Italy recovered from the brink of defeat to advance to the Davis Cup final for the first time in a quarter of a century.
That outcome seemed wildly improbable when Sinner found himself serving at 4-5, 0-40 in the deciding set of the day’s second singles match. Miomir Kecmanovic had earlier put Serbia ahead with a 6-7 (7-9), 6-2, 6-1 victory over Lorenzo Musetti, which meant Djokovic was just a point away from putting the 2010 champions through to the final for a third time. Yet Sinner recovered to win an extraordinary battle 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 before pairing up with Lorenzo Sonego to clinch the tie with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Djokovic and Kecmanovic.
For Djokovic, who had hoped to round off one of the best seasons of his career by leading his country to a second Davis Cup triumph, it was a day to forget. The defeat ended his 21-match unbeaten run in the competition, a sequence stretching back to 2011, and marked the first time in his career he has lost after holding three consecutive match points. It was also the first time the 36-year-old has been beaten twice in one day by the same player.
“Congratulations to Italy for qualifying for the finals,” said Djokovic. “They deserved it. They played really well – particularly Jannik, in singles against me, and then doubles. He barely missed the ball the entire match. You can only say congrats and hats down for a performance like that.
“For me personally it’s a huge disappointment, because I take the responsibility, obviously having three match points, being so close to winning it. It’s unfortunate. really. This is sport. When you lose for your country, the bitter feeling is even greater.”
It is a bitterness Djokovic has tasted rarely enough in a season that has brought three grand slam titles and a record-extending eighth year-end No 1 finish. Yet two of his seven losses in 2023 have come against Sinner, who appears to have turned a corner in his rivalry with the Serb after defeating him for the first time in the group stages of the ATP Finals. The Italian has won two of his three meetings with Djokovic over the past 11 days, and the belief instilled by that crucial victory in Turin was evident as he set a blistering early pace.
Even as Sinner raced through the first set, however, the suspicion was that an unusually sluggish Djokovic would mount a response. Sure enough, the 24-time grand slam champion raised his level in the second, absorbing his younger rival’s aggression with some fine defensive play. As the pair matched each other step for step in the decider, the suspicion that Djokovic would somehow find a way, just as he has done so often, grew ever stronger. That looked to be the case when the Serb worked his way to triple match point. But Sinner made Djokovic pay for a missed sliced backhand on the first of those chances, before snuffing out the danger with a service winner and an ungainly but effective forehand volley.
“It was a really important game,” said Sinner, who will lead Italy’s charge against Australia, 2-0 winners over Finland in the first semi-final, on Sunday afternoon.
“We changed, not for so long, for new balls, so I knew if I’m going to serve well that maybe I have some free points. But I had to stay in the present moment. It was 0-40, and he missed a quite easy backhand, which gave me a little bit of confidence and belief.
“It means a lot. Before the match we were talking that it was a really important test today, trying to understand what to expect before the match. I think we made a good tactical moment before the match.
“Then, obviously, playing it is a little bit different, but I think I have to be really proud about how I handled the situation.”
The dust had barely settled before the pair went at it again in the decisive doubles rubber, where Sinner and Sonego delivered a clutch performance to put their country through to an eighth final.
Despite that impressive record, Italy has won the competition just once, back in 1976, when Adriano Panatta – who also won the only grand slam title of his career at Roland Garros that year – was the linchpin in a 3-0 victory over Chile. Sinner will be hoping he can perform a similar role against Australia, who were beaten by Canada in last year’s final.