Novak Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam tournament for a year and a half. But he is not giving up without a fight. He impressively demonstrated his mental strength against Carlos Alcaraz.
21.01.2025, 19:48
21.01.2025, 19:49
SDA
Carlos Alcaraz is a giant in terms of play and mentality, even at the tender tennis age of 21. He has also already beaten Novak Djokovic in two Wimbledon finals. On Tuesday evening in the Rod Laver Arena, he found his master in the Serbian, who is 16 years his senior. Djokovic once again proved to be a mental "monster" at the Australian Open and Alcaraz was no match for him.
Painkillers worked
After an intense first 40 minutes and a 4:4 with the expected high-class rallies, Djokovic seemed to have to pay tribute to his age. He apparently injured his adductor muscles, lost the first set 4:6 and returned after a medical timeout with a bandaged left thigh. Visibly handicapped, the 24-time Grand Slam champion looked for the point quicker than usual and made unusual mistakes as a result. But Alcaraz was also unsettled and after the painkillers began to take effect, Djokovic was (almost) back to his old self.
He gritted his teeth, won the important points again and also showed the highly talented Spaniard how to play tactically. "The medication definitely helped," he said shortly before 1 a.m. local time and relieved after almost three and a half hours of play. He was not sure whether he would have continued playing if he had lost the second set. "That was one of the most epic matches of my career." And he has already experienced a few of those.
Focus back on the Grand Slams
Just as he was somewhat prematurely written off for this quarter-final in Melbourne after the first set, the myth of his sporting decline is perhaps also premature. Last year, Djokovic struggled, partly due to a knee injury at the French Open and because he was completely focused on winning the Olympic gold medal for the first time - in a high-class final against Alcaraz with a successful ending.
The record winner at the Australian Open made it clear before the start of the season that he intends to play even fewer tournaments this year than last. Instead, he is now focusing again on extending his record at the Grand Slams. After a year in which the youngsters Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner each won two of the big events, Djokovic wants to strike back once again.
While Alcaraz will have to wait at least another year for a full career Grand Slam after his triumphs at Wimbledon (2), the US Open and in Paris, Djokovic can aim more than ever for his eleventh victory in Melbourne. If he is physically fit, he will also be the favorite in the semi-final against Alexander Zverev. He has never lost a three-set match against the German, who is often not at his best mentally in important matches.
Mystery surrounding injury
Djokovic is no longer completely dewy-eyed. "I wish today's match had been the final," he said after the Alcaraz match. He did not want to say anything about the nature of the injury. "As I'm still in the tournament, I'd rather not say too much about it." But it does worry him a little.
Djokovic said about Alcaraz before the duel that it was great fun to watch the Spaniard, playing against him was less fun. The same applies to anyone who has to play the Serb. The "old" man's motivation is unbroken - and he will remain a real threat for as long as he plays.
