Novak Djokovic finally got his revenge on Jannik Sinner early Saturday, snapping a five-match losing streak to the Italian in a five-set marathon to move one step closer to history. And after doing it in exhilarating fashion in front of a packed 15,000-strong crowd, Djokovic was in a playful mood.

Reacting to the epic semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev  Djokovic couldn’t hide his admiration.  “What an incredible match,” he said. “We tried to match that quality and that intensity, but credit and kudos to both of these guys for battling it out.”

“I think you guys got the value of your ticket today, that’s for sure,” Djokovic said with a grin, taking a cheeky dig as fans reportedly paid more than $879 just to watch the semifinals. “I want 10% of tonight’s ticket sales, Craig. No negotiation,” Djokovic added jokingly, drawing huge laughter from the crowd.

If he goes on to beat Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, Djokovic will pocket a massive $4,150,000, while the runner-up earns $2,150,000. Still, even that might not quite be enough for the ever-hungry Serbian.

Novak Djokovic also shared a lighthearted moment involving Carlos Alcaraz just before his match when Alcaraz had apologized for delaying the start of Djokovic’s semifinal after the Spaniard’s own marathon match.

“I saw Carlos after the match and he told me, ‘I’m sorry to delay the start of your match,’” Djokovic said. “And I told him, ‘I’m an old man and I need to go to sleep earlier, so I’m looking forward to seeing him in a few days.’” The Australian crowd burst into laughter once again at Djokovic’s comedic chops.

Despite the wait, the 24-time Grand Slam champion eventually battled past defending champion Jannik Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match just as grueling but exciting as the Spaniard’s.

With the win, the 38-year-old booked his place in an Australian Open final for the 11th time, ending a run of four straight semifinal exits at major tournaments.

Regardless, now with men’s final tickets starting at $1,449, it’ll be interesting to see just how many fans turn up to watch him chase another title. If he does win, don’t be surprised if Djokovic has another cheeky monetary demand ready.

Novak Djokovic thanks his doubters for the epic win

Novak Djokovic didn’t hold back after his win. “There’s a lot of people that doubt me,” he said. “A lot of experts wanted to retire me or have retired me many times the last couple of years.” Instead of letting that noise get to him, Djokovic said it became fuel. Those doubts, he explained, pushed him to keep going and prove people wrong.

“I want to thank them all, because they gave me strength,” the 38-year-old Serbian said. “They gave me motivation to prove them wrong, which I have tonight. For me, it’s not a surprise, to be honest.”

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He went a step further when rating the performance. “I rate it as the best [win] of the last couple of years,” Novak Djokovic said. “For sure, one of the best performances in the last decade or so.” Still, he was honest enough to admit that a bit of fortune played a role in his run to the semifinals.

Djokovic pointed to his quarterfinal against Lorenzo Musetti, who was forced to retire with a thigh injury. “I was lucky that obviously Lorenzo got hurt and retired that match,” he said. “Two days later, obviously different opponent. I knew exactly what to expect and had great clarity and strategy and game plan and what needs to be executed.” He knew Jannik Sinner would be a completely different challenge, and he said he was ready for it.

If you remember that quarterfinal, Musetti began struggling early in the third set, took a medical timeout, and clearly couldn’t move or serve once play resumed. Down 3-1, he walked to the net, shook hands, and ended his campaign. It helped Djokovic physically, but mentally, he said his focus was already on what was coming next.

“I’m just thrilled to be able to experience something like this tonight,” Djokovic said later. The win marked his first five-set match since Roland Garros 2024, and he’s now back in a Grand Slam final after watching Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner split the last eight majors. On Sunday, Djokovic will try to become the oldest Australian Open champion, while his 22-year-old opponent looks to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam. But do you think Djokovic would be able to win against world No. 1?