Novak Djokovic overcame a dropped first set to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Djokovic recovered from a knee injury sustained in the first set to claw his way back against the 21-year-old phenom. Alcaraz lost the crowd with his jawing at the chair umpire, appearing to claim that they were “influenced” by Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion. The altercation and a later medical timeout seemed to throw the young Alcaraz off his game as he was unable to mount a comeback. Djokovic won the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
The match against Alcaraz was this duo’s eighth. With the victory he improves to 5-3 against the Spaniard, and 2-2 in Grand Slams. Alcaraz had won their previous two meetings in Grand Slams, at the 2023 and 2024 Wimbledon Final. The win sends Djokovic to his 50th Grand Slam semi, a feat only previously accomplished in tennis by Chrissy Evert. Alcaraz’s defeat after taking the first set in only the second one in 57 matches in his young career. Alcaraz has yet to win the Australian Open. Djokovic moves on to his 12th Australian Open semi-final to face second-seeded Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Djokovic Advances In AO
As the Australian Open field whittles down to four, some of the finest players are being sent home and the matches become more and more intense as a Grand Slam trophy awaits a champion on Sunday morning. Two players who are used to holding up these trophies met Tuesday morning at Rod Laver Arena in the latest chapter of their building rivalry. Djokovic and Alcaraz met in the Australian Open quarterfinals to see who will advance to take on Alexander Zverev in the semi-final.
In their eighth career battle and fourth in a Grand Slam, Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a grueling match. The 37-year-old sustained what appeared to be an upper-leg injury in the first set. The injury hobbled Djokovic after he had gotten out to an early advantage in the first set, thanks in part to some unforced errors and critical judgment mistakes from Alcaraz.
The ailment seemed to immobilize the Serbian as Alcaraz zoomed back into the match. It was unclear if Djokovic could stay in the match, especially when he took a medical time out to address the injury late in the first set. Luckily for the fans packed into Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic would stay in the match and begin to play better. After the final rally, Djokovic talked about dealing with the injury.
“The medication started to kick in, and it helped no doubt. I had to take another dose, it sounds awful, but I had to. If I lost that second set, I don’t know if I would continue playing, but I felt better and better. I managed to play a great couple of games to end the second set. I saw that Carlos was hesitant from the back of the court, and I took my chances. I started to feel and move better. It didn’t bother me towards the end of the match [the pain], only in that second set. When the medications start to release I will see what the reality is tomorrow morning.”
Veteran Mounts a Comeback
Alcaraz took the first set 6-4 and was looking to leave Djokovic in the dust when a tactical change from Djokovic started to give Alcaraz fits. With an injury that was still bothering him, Djokovic made a conscious decision to play for quick rallies. He attacked the net and put himself in favorable situations to stay off of his left leg, minimizing the stress he had to put on it. Alcaraz struggled to make counter adjustments and Djokovic, notoriously disliked by crowds, became the babyface in Melbourne.
Alcaraz couldn’t manage to gather himself and even broke out in a tirade with the chair umpire over a let serve in the third set. Alcaraz started to stave off the surging Djokovic in the fourth set with his back against the wall. In the longest rally of the night, a masterful 33-shot battle, Alcaraz outlasted Djokovic when his leg seemed to be nagging at him. The result of the match came into doubt for both sides. From that point on, the experience and determination of the 24-time Grand Slam champion shined through. Needing to respond to the momentum swing, Djokovic compartmentalized the injury.
He looked healthier as the match waned and he became more versatile with his play. Alcaraz was not as flexible with his play style and the momentum swung back to the game’s winningest champion. Djokovic did not make the same critical unforced errors that Alcaraz made and he was able to finish the job in four sets, sending Alcaraz home where he will have at least another year to work towards a career Grand Slam.
The win for Djokovic was his first over Alcaraz with Andy Murray as his coach. After the match, Alcaraz showed more composure than he did during play. “I felt like I was controlling the match, and I let him get into the match again. When Novak is at this level, it’s really difficult. Every time that we play against other, I think a show is guaranteed. I’m just lucky I get to live this experience.”
Final Thoughts
The longevity of Djokovic should not come as a surprise, but against Carlos Alcaraz it somehow still is. After losing in the Wimbledon Final in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024, I thought the torch had been passed. He had logged so many hours on the court and been through so many tough battles against players who were on the court before Alcaraz had even been born. The thought of Djokovic prolonging his reign was fleeting. He was able to push back on Alcaraz this time around though, making it back-to-back wins over the 21-year-old, with the last victory coming in the Gold Medal Match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Alcaraz may be one of the best players in the world and the clear heir to the tennis throne on the men’s side of the draw, but his youth showed in this three-hour, 37-minute match. A shaky and anxious start gave Djokovic a two-game lead in the first set. Alcaraz’s spat with the chair umpire over a let serve call in the third set allowed him to show his age. He can learn from this experience and take away some lessons for later Grand Slams and matches with Djokovic. It is no doubt frustrating for him that he is going home and Djokovic is heading to his 12th Australian Open semi-final.
