Lucky break or true skill? Djokovic: It's unfortunate.

The semifinal lineups for both men's and women's singles at the 2026 Australian Open have been finalized. The four women advancing are Sabalenka, Svitolina, Pegula, and Rybakina, each having progressed without dropping a set—marking the fifth time in the Open Era that this has happened at a Grand Slam.

In the women's singles top half, the semifinal features Sabalenka facing Svitolina. Sabalenka has reached the Australian Open semifinals for four consecutive years, marking the 14th time in her career she has made it to a Grand Slam semifinal, while Svitolina returns to this stage after a two-year absence.

On the bottom half, Pegula takes on Rybakina. This is Pegula’s first time reaching the Australian Open singles semifinals, having defeated defending champion Keys and the in-form Anisimova on her way. Meanwhile, Rybakina, who recently beat second seed Swiatek in the previous round, is in hot form and has reached the Australian Open semifinals for the second time in her career, following her win in the finals.

Our focus today is on the men's singles semifinalists. The top four seeds—Alcaraz, Sinner, Zverev, and Djokovic—all advanced to the semifinals, with Djokovic’s path being the most dramatic.

Last year, Djokovic withdrew after reaching the Australian Open men's semifinals, allowing Zverev to advance to the final by walkover. This year, the Serbian veteran faced Italy’s Musetti in the quarterfinals. Despite leading 6-4, 6-3, 1-3, Musetti retired due to injury.

Musetti suffered a right thigh muscle strain during the match, becoming the first Grand Slam quarterfinalist in the Open Era to retire while leading 2-0 in sets. Notably, Djokovic had also advanced in the previous round after Menšík retired, granting him a walkover into the quarterfinals.

“Advancing to the semifinals without winning a set in two consecutive rounds,” Djokovic’s “luck” has sparked much fan banter. However, sometimes luck is part of skill. According to the draw, Djokovic will face the second seed and crowd favorite Sinner in the semifinals.

It’s worth noting that after Musetti’s retirement, Djokovic’s total match wins at the Australian Open have reached 103, officially surpassing Federer to become the player with the most match wins in Australian Open history. This also sets a new personal record for the most match wins in a single Grand Slam tournament.

Djokovic’s opponent, Sinner, currently holds an 18-match winning streak at the Australian Open. Based on their past Grand Slam encounters, Sinner has the upper hand. So, do you think Djokovic has a chance to cause an upset?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)