NOVAK DJOKOVIC LEFT PUZZLED AFTER OPPONENT’S STRANGE POST-MATCH COMMENT
Novak Djokovic beat Zizou Bergs to reach a record-tying 80th ATP Masters 1000 semi-final at the Shanghai Masters. The Belgian admitted he "idolised" the Serb, affecting his performance.
At the 2025 Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic defeated Zizou Bergs in straight sets to reach the ATP Masters 1000 level's record-tying 80th semifinal.
In his 11th appearance at the event, the 24-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the Shanghai semi-finals for a record-tying 10th time, defeating world No. 44 Bergs 6-3, 7-5 in the final eight.
With 13 appearances in the Italian Open final four, Djokovic is now only the second player, after Rafael Nadal, to make it to the semi-finals of different Masters events ten or more times.
Bergs told Djokovic at the net after their first encounter that his performance had been impacted by his adoration for the renowned Serb.
Before the two gave each other a tender embrace, the 26-year-old Belgian said, "Man, I have got to quit idolising you."
Colin Fleming, a tennis expert and former world No. 17 in doubles, offered his opinion on Bergs' remark.
There, Bergs told the entire tale. As he made his way to the net, Fleming stated on Sky Sports, "I have to stop idolising you."
I mean, I think that is a little strange. Playing Djokovic for the first time, though, makes sense. That, in my opinion, sums up the contest.
"I believe he simply exaggerated the match in his own thoughts. playing for the first time against Djokovic. He managed it both physically and in terms of his skill set, but he was unable to maintain the level.
It was quite the ride for him. Occasionally amusing, but ultimately costly to him.
As a Tennis TV pundit, former British No. 1 Barry Cowan also responded to Bergs' remarks.
Bergs said nice things. You just have to be honest, after all. According to Cowan, it did seem somewhat that way.
In terms of the first [Masters] quarterfinal, this was undoubtedly Bergs' biggest match and the biggest quarterfinal he has ever participated in.
Playing someone like Djokovic is obviously a good idea, but I believe Bergs learnt enough to hurt the best players. The only question is whether he can do it consistently, which we know Djokovic can. Djokovic still has a strong sense of competition.
Djokovic was asked what it took to advance to this point in the competition during an on-court interview with Tennis TV.
The 38-year-old stated, "It is pretty much everything, just trying to stay alive, to be honest, on the court."
The first time I met Bergs, he was a wonderful man. He obviously has a lot of firepower. Sometimes I simply tried to make him miss the ball by playing an extra ball on the court. That is what took place.
"He played well, and I should have ended the game at 5-4. I was a touch too passive once more. These past few weeks have been extremely difficult for all of the players, who are just trying to survive on the court and are happy to have passed this obstacle.
In the semifinals, world No. 5 Djokovic will play Monegasque qualifier Valentin Vacherot, who is ranked 204th.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH
After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.
After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.
Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.
For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.
This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.
In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.
Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.
Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.
Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.
WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY
Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.
Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.
Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.
Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.
Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.
Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.
With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.