MELBOURNE, Australia — In an intense match on Friday night at the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic faced some breathing difficulties and had an exchange with a particularly vocal spectator. However, once the play began against Tomas Machac, the 24-time Grand Slam champion displayed a remarkable performance.
Djokovic, a ten-time winner at Melbourne Park, secured his spot in the fourth round with a convincing 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory against the 26th-seeded Machac, who had the upper hand in their previous meeting last season.
In a post-match interview, Djokovic reflected on his performance, stating, “I’m feeling hot-headed right now, so I’ll try to provide a calm and diplomatic response. I think I played exceptionally well. To be honest, I was quite surprised by the scoreline.”
The match concluded in under 2.5 hours, with Djokovic being broken only once and capitalizing on 5 of his 15 opportunities against Machac’s serve. Another indicator of his success was the striking ratio of 28 winners to just 20 unforced errors.
This marked Djokovic’s first straight-set victory of the tournament, having faced stiff competition in earlier rounds from two debutant players—19-year-old Ninesh Basavareddy and 21-year-old Jaime Faria—in matches that went to four sets.
Next, Djokovic is set to compete against No. 24 Jiri Lehecka on Sunday, with the potential of facing No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals if he progresses.
During the first game of the second set, Djokovic seemed to struggle, clutching the right side of his rib cage. Subsequently, he took an unusual route by sitting down on his bench instead of merely walking to the opposite side of the court.
In the following game, he appeared visibly winded after missing a drop shot and faltered with a missed volley, allowing Machac to obtain a 2-0 lead in that set. However, Djokovic promptly broke back, inciting chants of “Nole!” from the crowd and applause from his coach, Andy Murray, who was courtside.
Soon after, Djokovic requested a trainer to assist him. During the changeover, he sat down with a towel draped over his head while receiving medical attention.
“I was just trying to catch my breath. I had a tough time. I’m not 19 anymore—I’m nearly 38,” he joked, acknowledging the challenges he faced physically during the match. Yet, he noted that by the final set, he felt invigorated and moved impressively.
Towards the end of the match, Djokovic was also disturbed by unwelcome remarks from the crowd. Upon securing the win, he flexed and let out a triumphant scream. He pointed playfully to his ear, as if to taunt his naysayers.
In a light-hearted moment during his post-match interview, Djokovic responded to an interrupting voice from the crowd by saying, “Sorry, mate. I have a wife. But we could have a drink later,” hinting that the individual may have indulged too much.
“I’m open to sharing a drink now that the match is over,” Djokovic concluded, remarking positively on their exchange.
