“The longer he can stay in the match, the higher the chance he can win” : Boris Becker on how Novak Djokovic can defeat Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic would square off against each other in the semifinals of the 2026 Australian Open. The Serbian’s former coach Boris Becker highlighted a couple of key points which could help Novak Djokovic defeat Jannik Sinner on Friday.
Jannik Sinner, who is the reigning champion in Melbourne, enters as the overwhelming favorite to claim the victory in the semifinals. However, Becker who helped the Serb win six Grand Slam titles between 2013-2016 stated that he would never bet against Djokovic.
Boris Becker stated that if there is one player who knows how to win this tournament, then it is Novak Djokovic. The German stated that the Serb will give it his everything in the semifinals to claim his 25th Grand Slam title, and 11th Australian Open title.
“I would never bet against him, but playing Sinner is the toughest thing to do in Australia,” Becker, who helped Djokovic win six Grand Slam titles as his coach between 2013 and 2016, told TNT Sports.
“He has won two times in a row and Djokovic lost to him two years ago in the semis. But Novak has won the tournament 10 times; if there is one man that knows how to win the Australian Open it’s him.”
“The only reason Djokovic plays tennis is to win Grand Slams, to get to that 25 and get to that 11 in Australia. He has done everything else in tennis. He will push himself as much as he can.”
Boris Becker stated that Novak Djokovic can exploit Jannik Sinner in terms of his physicality as the Italian was seen struggling due to heat in his earlier round game. Hence, Becker believes that if the match goes on beyond 3 hours, it would favor Novak Djokovic rather than hurt him.
Additionally, he also believes that the Serb needs to dictate play in the semifinals, and be aggressive on Jannik Sinner’s second serve. “Let it all out,” urged Becker. “If you hope that Sinner will give it to you, then you are mistaken.
“You have to be the first one that goes for the corners, you have to decide the tempo of the match and control the centre of the court and get your free points on the first serve. Take a bit of a chance on Sinner’s second serve, and also Sinner struggled physically a few days ago, so once you get to the three-hour mark, I don’t think it’s a disadvantage for Djokovic, even though he is much older. The longer he can stay in the match, the higher the chance he can win.”
