MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic refused to stop at anything as he chased 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.”
The action was non-stop and the shot-making was excellent, even though the match lasted more than three and a half hours and lasted until nearly 1 a.m. Perhaps nothing was better than when Alcaraz saved a break point. Djokovic led 5-2 in the fourth set and served for the win.
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.
With his wife, son and daughter cheering him on in the stands, the seventh-seeded Djokovic won thanks to a stunning comeback and no-miss groundstrokes against Alcaraz, defeating now-retired rivals Roger Federer and Rafael. Nadal has been fighting for years. .
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 pumped his fist after landing a particularly strong forehand in the fourth set.
After the match, Djokovic screamed into the team box and went to hug former rival and current coach Andy Murray. Djokovic then applauded Alcaraz as he left the court.
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. 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 they met neither in the semi-finals nor in the final of the tournament. 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 Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open, or more than 24 Grand Slam singles titles. At 21 years old, Alcaraz certainly seems to have not yet reached his peak, but most people who reach No. 1 in the rankings in their teens have won or collected major trophies on three different surfaces by that age. It wasn't until I did that.
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 Open to complete a career Grand Slam. I wasn't shy about it. Djokovic has made winning Olympic gold for Serbia his top priority in 2024, a success he achieved in Paris last August by defeating Alcaraz in the final, and other than that he is mainly interested in major tournaments.
Djokovic had other things on his mind over the weekend. Angered by insulting comments made on-air by Australian television commentators, he refused to speak to the host nation's official tournament broadcaster. 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.
Indeed, they broke right from the start and took a 2-0 lead. But things changed at 4-all when Djokovic stretched to take a shot and then grabbed his thighs and squatted down. He finished the game, but was broken when Alcaraz hit a forehand winner to end a 13-stroke fight.
Djokovic headed to the locker room for a medical timeout. When play resumed, he returned with tape on his left thigh, and Alcaraz served out the set at love.
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.
There were few empty blue seats in the stadium, and fans of both players repeatedly shouted one player's name between points and were repeatedly admonished by referee Eva Asdelaki-Moore. At one point she said sternly: thank you. “
But when the ball is in play, it gets very quiet, and the silence is punctuated by the cries of seagulls flying overhead, or the squeak of sneakers along the court, or the “ahs” and “oohs” of impressed ticket holders during an electric switch. That was the only voice I heard. Between two stars of the sports world.
Djokovic and Alcaraz showed off their skills in temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) and 30 mph winds, with Djokovic's blue shirt ruffling. Alcaraz's tight-fitting sleeveless jersey number was not).
They both chased the shot helplessly. Both players moved from defense to attack, conjuring winners out of nowhere. They accomplished more, including Alcaraz's well-featured drop shot and Djokovic's impressive return, including two winners to close out the second set.
But it was Djokovic who was the better player on this memorable night.
