Novak Djokovic (AP Photo) Novak Djokovic doesn’t lack motivation at this stage of his career, but on the eve of another Australian Open semifinal, the most successful men’s singles player in tennis history found fresh fuel — from a question he felt was overstepped.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion and 10-time winner at Melbourne Park, bristled when asked if he was now “chasing” younger rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have prevented him from winning a major in the past two seasons. The Serb paused, visibly processing the question before answering sharply.“Am I stalking Jannik and Carlos? In what sense?” Djokovic said before returning to the premise. “So I’m always the chaser and I’m never chased? I think it’s a little disrespectful that you kind of missed what happened between when I started chasing, as you say, Raf and Roger, and now that I’m chasing Carlos and Jannik, and there’s probably about a fifteen-year period of Grand Slam dominance in between.”Djokovic emphasized the need for perspective. “It’s important to get it straight. To be honest, I don’t feel like I’m catching up. I’m making my own history.”WATCH: Djokovic fires back at journalistsThe 38-year-old is now two wins away from a record 25th Grand Slam singles title, although his path to the semi-finals was unconventional. Djokovic admitted he was “lucky this time” after fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti was injured while leading the quarter-finals following a fourth-round break. Statistically, he hasn’t even finished a set since the third round, but Djokovic remains firmly in contention.On the other side of the net will be world number two Sinner, who are on a 19-game winning streak at Melbourne Park and lead their head-to-head 6-4, including wins in their last five. The Italian, who defeated Djokovic in the semi-finals here two years ago en route to his first Slam, was full of respect.“It makes you better as a player and a person,” Sinner said. “We’re still lucky to have Novak here playing incredible tennis at his age. I’m lucky to have someone like him in front of my eyes … I can learn something about him every time he plays.”
