Playing in his 11th Australian Open final, many had felt that Novak Djokovic would have eventually captured the elusive 25th Grand Slam title for the standalone record that he has been chasing for a while.

Of course, the new generation of players in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have made things much more difficult for the Serbian, with these two young athletes at the very top of their game and almost unbeatable on their best days.

Still, those who bet on Australian Open tennis may have felt that it was Djokovic’s time, especially as he has enjoyed the major in the past. He had won each of his 10 final appearances before his most recent, while he turned back the years and showed everyone that he still has what it takes to be at the top with an emphatic performance against Sinner in the semi-final.

He defeated the Italian by coming from one set and then two sets down, securing victory 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic would then take on Alcaraz in the final having gone to bed at 06:00 am on Saturday after the semi-final and not training on Saturday, but after making a fast start and winning the first set, he found himself becoming undone, losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.

He rode his luck throughout parts of the tournament, though. He managed to get past Jakub Mensik in the fourth round via a walkover and was staring defeat in the face in the quarter-final before Lorenzo Musetti had to quit in the third set to injury, despite having won the first two.

So, where does this latest defeat leave Djokovic? What does the future hold for one of the greatest players of all time?

Naturally, he was gracious in defeat and praised his rival, but it was a comment that he had made during his post-match speech when being interviewed on court that poses questions.

“I didn’t think I’d be standing at the closing ceremony of a Grand Slam once again,” he said. “Who knows what happens tomorrow, never mind the next six or 12 months, but it has been a great ride.”

He later revealed that he has confidence that he could win another Slam, but admitted that it’s not an expectation. “I have belief, and I always have confidence and vision to win a Slam anywhere – but I do not expect it. That’s different.”

He knows that Alcaraz and Sinner are the two men to beat on the tour, and admitted that he was encouraged by what he had managed to achieve. “I knew that I’d probably have to beat two of them on the way to the title,” he said. “I beat one, which is great, so it’s further than I have gone in Grand Slams last year.

“It’s encouraging but not enough for me. Let’s see. I’m going to keep pushing and see if I get another chance.”

Still, at 38 years of age, it remains to be seen just how many more Slams he’ll be involved in.