MELBOURNE, Australia — There was a sense of déjà vu as Novak Djokovic marched toward the Rod Laver Arena net in the early hours of Wednesday morning to half console, half congratulate the latest challenger that had failed to conquer him on the court. A court that’s played host to countless iconic moments throughout his legendary career.
It didn’t matter that this challenger was the world No. 3, Carlos Alcaraz. It didn’t matter that this challenger had the fresher legs, having spent three hours fewer on the court this tournament. It didn’t matter that this challenger had been playing the best tennis of anyone at the tournament. It didn’t even matter that Djokovic was hobbled, having sustained a concerning leg injury early in the match. When it comes to Djokovic at the Australian Open, there’s often an inevitability about the result.
For the umpteenth time in his career, Djokovic left his doubters and those who had prematurely written him off looking comically foolish, storming from a set down to defeat Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a gripping quarterfinal battle between tennis’ two biggest heavyweights, and keep his dream alive of a record-extending 25th major title.
How Djokovic beat Alcaraz
Just four men have beaten Djokovic at the Australian Open in 15 years. It’s a seemingly impossible statistic, but one that highlights the dominance he’s enjoyed on these royal blue courts Down Under en route to a record 10 titles.
For the first hour of Tuesday’s quarterfinal, it appeared that Alcaraz was on his way to becoming the fifth to complete tennis’ arguably greatest challenge. The Spaniard was playing inspired tennis, signaling his aggressive intent in the opening minutes by rocketing a backhand winner down the line to break the Djokovic serve.
He was ruthless in his pursuit of bludgeoning balls to all corners of the court, forcing Djokovic to scramble for everything and never allowing him a moment to feel comfortable or an opportunity to establish any sort of control. As a result, in the first 45 minutes, Djokovic mustered just one winner to Alcaraz’s 12. It was the type of relentless tennis Djokovic has seldom had to face in his career — and perhaps never at Melbourne Park.
Things appeared to head from bad to worse when Djokovic called for a medical timeout down 4-5 in the first set. He returned to the court with his right thigh wrapped, and although Alcaraz would moments later serve out the opening set, the match began to shift shortly after.
Clearly hampered with his movement, Djokovic was forced to dial up the aggression, turning the tables on Alcaraz and giving him a cardio workout of his own. Slowly the pendulum of control swung back in favor of Djokovic, and suddenly points were being dictated off of his own racket, despite his inability to move freely. Playing high-risk, high-reward tennis, the previously low winner count began to climb, ultimately reaching 31 by the end of the match.
“It was quite an even match, then the accident happened physically with me,” said Djokovic, who refused to divulge into detail on the injury. “The doctor gave me some medication, some painkillers. That kicked in after 20, 30 minutes. It did help.
“I was just trying to be self-observing what’s going on in my body and at the same time focus on every point in every game and try to hold my serve and put pressure on him. I started to play more freely. I went for my shots. I was really close to the line and just had to be more aggressive. I felt better and better as the match progressed.”
Often when the stakes are raised, so too is Djokovic’s game. We’ve witnessed it countless times throughout his career, not just at the Australian Open, but every major tennis stage. Break points, tiebreaks, pressure points, match points — all of which transform one of the toughest tennis players to ever beat into seemingly a man impossible to beat.
That was again the case on Tuesday against Alcaraz. Djokovic wasn’t perfect, but in the clutch moments he more often than not delivered. Perhaps there was no bigger moment than the point he won to pocket the third set. Djokovic gave his latest impression of a human brick wall, turning the most defensive of positions meters behind the baseline into a winner that left Alcaraz shaking his head in disbelief as a wry smile crept across his face.
There was the 10-minute fourth-set service game to consolidate his break, in which he faced two break points of his own. And then his next service game, where he navigated out of a 15-40 hole to consolidate once more.
“I think most of the crucial points, it went to his side,” Alcaraz said. “When Novak is at this level, it’s really difficult to find the way.”
Slowly but surely, Djokovic — with that characteristic resilience and mental fortitude — dismantled Alcaraz, until the frustration of the Spaniard began spilling out on court. Shortly after, Djokovic had booked a place in another semifinal at Melbourne Park, this time against Alexander Zverev.
“The extra day with no match comes at a good time,” Djokovic said. “I have to assess the situation tomorrow when I wake up. I will try to do as much as I possibly can with my recovery team, with my physio today, tomorrow, the next few days. I’m concerned. I am, to be honest. But if I manage somehow to be physically good enough, I think mentally, emotionally I’m as motivated as I can be.”
What does this loss mean for Alcaraz?
For five years, Alcaraz and the Australian Open have felt a little like water and oil. They just don’t seem to mix. He has missed the tournament through injury, lost matches he shouldn’t have lost, and no matter what he tries, just cannot seem to get within arm’s reach of the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, the only major trophy missing from his collection.
Not only has Alcaraz never won the Australian Open, he’s never reached the final, or a semifinal, at Melbourne Park. It’s become something of a weird anomaly in what’s otherwise a near perfect start to a tennis career. Is there a mental hurdle to overcome in Australia or is it just a quirk that will correct itself in time?
“I’m just lucky to live this experience,” an upbeat Alcaraz told reporters shortly after falling to Djokovic. “From these matches I’m getting so much experience about how to deal with everything. I’m not going to hide. I’ve done great things in tennis already but playing against one of the best in history of our sport, these kind of matches help me a lot.”
Tuesday’s loss to Djokovic raises a fascinating slice of legacy discourse. And while it may feel a touch premature to begin discussing the legacy of someone who celebrated their 21st birthday last year, Alcaraz has been so successful in the early stages of his career that it’s not at all ridiculous to ponder.
Much like Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal before him, Alcaraz is expected to continue adding Grand Slam trophies to his cabinet. Who knows, maybe one day he’ll amass a tally to rival those legends and put himself in the conversation as being one of the greatest to play the sport. But even if that’s the case, his head-to-head record against Djokovic, the man who will retire as the one for everyone else to chase down, is beginning to look a little lopsided.
After winning two of the first three meetings between the pair, Alcaraz lost four of the next five, each of them with Djokovic aged at least 36 years. The two most recent losses might be the most deflating, falling in the gold-medal match at the Olympic Games in Paris last year and then again as a sizable favorite in Tuesday’s Australian Open quarterfinal.
Given Djokovic’s age, time is running out for Alcaraz to correct that stat. Who knows how many more times they will face each other before Djokovic hangs up the racket. But as things stand, the Djokovic faithful will argue that if Alcaraz couldn’t beat him at the end, what chance would he have in Djokovic’s prime?
One thing is guaranteed to remain a constant for Alcaraz. The Spaniard will hold onto the world No. 3 ranking, behind Jannik Sinner and Zverev, no matter what happens throughout the remainder of the tournament in Melbourne.
