MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic refused to let anything stop him in his pursuit of his 25th Grand Slam trophy in the Australian Open quarterfinals. There is no problem with my left foot. It’s not an initial deficit. And it wasn’t Carlos Alcaraz, the kid on the other side of the internet who was making things difficult and opening his eyes to a piece of his own history.
Djokovic overcame everything, just as he has done for many of his victories, with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Alcaraz, his 12th at Melbourne Park. advanced to the semifinals. Tuesday night in a scintillating showdown between two stars born 16 years apart and at opposite ends of their careers.
“I wish today’s match had been the final,” Djokovic said. “One of the most epic games I’ve ever played on this court. On any court.”
Even though the match lasted more than three-and-a-half hours and lasted until nearly 1 a.m., the match was non-stop and the shot-making was excellent — likely with Alcaraz saving a break point that would have given him a five-point lead over Djokovic. It probably wasn’t as bad as it was then – two points in the fourth set. The 33-stroke fight was the longest of the night and ended with Djokovic sailing a forehand long, sending Rod Laver Arena’s sold-out crowd into a frenzy. Djokovic reached for his troubled foot and yelled to his entourage. Alcaraz grinned, leaning against the towel box, his chest heaving.
It turned out that it only delayed the final result.
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As his wife, son and daughter cheered him on in the stands, the father joked about the lateness after the match — seventh seed Djokovic’s incredible return and no mistakes against Big 3 rival Alcaraz. I won because of my groundstrokes. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have played against each other for many years.
“I felt like I was in control of the game, so I let him come back into the game,” Alcaraz said. “When Novak is at this level, it’s really difficult.”
Djokovic enjoyed his best effort in the final stages, pointing to his ear, blowing kisses, puffing out his chest and spreading his arms. In the third set, he hit 22 for a forehand winner and earned a break for a 5-3 lead. The final point of that set included a back-to-the-net sprint to chase a lob. Alcaraz wasn’t shy either, shouting “Vamos!” He then pumped his fist after landing a particularly strong forehand in the fourth set.
At the end of the match, Djokovic shouted into the team box and then hugged coach Andy Murray. Djokovic then applauded third-seeded Alcaraz as he left the court.
“I’m sure I’ll see him a lot,” Djokovic said. “Maybe not as much as I would like.”
On Friday, Djokovic made his 50th major semifinal, defeating two-time major runner-up and 12th seed Tommy Paul 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6. He will face second-seeded Alexander Zverev. , 6-1. Djokovic said he hopes he can recover in time to face Zverev at full strength.
The other men’s quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday, pitting No. 1 Jannik Sinner against No. 8 Alex de Minaur and No. 21 Ben Shelton against unseeded Lorenzo Sonego.
This was the eighth time Djokovic and Alcaraz had met, but the first time at the Australian Open, and the first time the match was not played in the semi-finals or final. Zverev called this a “clash of generations” between “probably the two greatest players who have ever touched a tennis racket.”
It’s hard to find hyperbole.
Djokovic, 37, is undoubtedly past his prime, but no player has won more than 10 Australian Opens or 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Alcaraz, 21, is likely not yet at his peak, but no player has ever won the Australian Open. He either reached number one in the rankings as a teenager or had won major trophies on three different surfaces by that age.
Alcaraz hopes to add the Australian win to his two Wimbledon wins (defeating Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 finals) and one each at the US Open and French Roland Garros to complete a career Grand Slam. I wasn’t shy. open. Djokovic has made winning Olympic gold for Serbia his top priority in 2024, achieving success in Paris last August by defeating Alcaraz in the final, and is otherwise primarily interested in major tournaments.
“I think every time we play against another team, a show is guaranteed,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really lucky to be able to live this experience.”
Djokovic has been thinking about something else lately. Angered by insulting comments made on-air by Australian television commentators, he refused to speak to the host nation’s official tournament broadcaster on Sunday. Djokovic received the apology he had sought from the agency and its employees on Monday and said he was ready to focus on playing Alcaraz.
But at 4-all, Djokovic stretched to take a shot and then grabbed his thighs and crouched down. He finished that game, but lost before taking a medical timeout. When play resumed, his left thigh was taped, Alcaraz served out the set. Anyone who thought Djokovic might quietly head into the night is not familiar with his game. He began attacking Alcaraz’s serve relentlessly, and soon the second set was his. Alcaraz admitted after the match that he regretted getting distracted by Djokovic’s injury and not trying to push him to his limits.
“If I lose the second set, I don’t know if I’m going to continue playing,” said Djokovic, who credits the painkillers he received from the tournament doctor with helping him feel better.
There were few empty blue seats in the stadium, and fans chanted repeatedly between points, prompting referee Eva Asdelaki-Moore to sternly say: “Enough, thank you.”
But when ball is in play, it gets very quiet, punctuated only by the cries of seagulls flying overhead, the squeak of sneakers, or the “aahs” and “oohs” of impressed ticket holders during an electric switch. It was just that.
With temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and winds blowing at 30 mph (nearly 50 kph), Djokovic and Alcaraz showed off their skills, ruffling Djokovic’s blue shirt (Alcaraz’s Although it wasn’t a tight sleeveless jersey number).
They both chased the shot helplessly. Both players moved from defense to attack, conjuring a winner out of nowhere. Both players went above and beyond, with Alcaraz’s well-featured drop shot and Djokovic’s impressive returns, including two winners to close out the second set.
But it was Djokovic who was the better player on this memorable night.
