4 hours ago
2
In the most recent late-night exhibition of his insatiable resilience and desire, as he again belied his ageing body to deliver another legendary performance, one of the most significant moments of Novak Djokovic’s quarter-final defeat of Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open came as the Serb clung desperately on to his frail momentum.
While leading set point on his serve at 5-3 in the third set, Djokovic was hurled around the court by Alcaraz, chasing down a drop shot before stumbling back to the baseline in pursuit of a lob. The frantic point – and set – ended with Djokovic slipping an angled backhand passing shot by Alcaraz before cupping his hands to his ear while the Rod Laver Arena erupted.
As Alcaraz returned to his seat, it seemed for a brief moment that he was also walking wounded. Alcaraz had hiked up the right leg of his shorts and he had begun to limp around his seat, holding on to his right thigh and stealing glances towards his team. Alcaraz’s actions were interpreted by some as a reference to his opponent, who had spent the past two and a half hours struggling with his body while continuing to perform at the highest level.
Djokovic’s defeat of Alcaraz, the third seed, was a remarkable achievement, another unprecedented success for a 37-year-old who, despite dropping to No 7 in the rankings, continues to find the energy, motivation and sustained high level to keep on pressuring the new generation. Djokovic had pulled up in the first set with a left thigh injury and in the second he was clearly struggling with his movement. Djokovic said later that his painkillers eventually kicked in and they guided him through the rest of the match.
Dramatically finding ways to win while in pain has been a consistent theme in Djokovic’s career. As he reflected on the victory, he cast his mind back to his experience at the 2023 Australian Open when he was struggling with a hamstring injury and similarly forced to relentlessly attack his forehand. A year earlier, his torn oblique muscle was the dominant talking point throughout the tournament as he also closed out the tournament as champion.
Djokovic’s coach, Andy Murray, who shared countless dramatic battles with the Serb during their rivalry, was offered a different viewing perspective on a familiar sight. These matches have also provoked plenty of scepticism over the years, but it is clear that Djokovic can also just be demonstrative and dramatic on the court; when he is feeling unwell, and hard done by, he won’t hesitate to let his audience and opponent know.
These moments, however, underline the mental strength at the heart of Djokovic’s success. No matter the obstacle before him, Djokovic will find a way to use his adversity to his advantage. When crowds heckle him, their ire becomes his motivation. Against an inspired opponent performing at their highest level and seemingly hitting every line, he will ascend to a level above. If he is physically compromised, his limitations often simplify and sharpen his approach, leaving him with no choice but to play bold, offensive tennis and control his nerves. “Honestly, sometimes it helps,” he said afterwards.
From the first points of the second set, Djokovic responded to the adversity by taking complete control of the rallies, eviscerating his forehand and playing with significantly more risk than he otherwise would. When Alcaraz did put him under pressure, he resolutely held on to his court positioning from on top of the baseline and refused to relinquish the initiative. He had the audacity to maintain his high level for nearly three hours until the very end.
Still just 21 years old, Alcaraz has already pieced together a celebrated career. He is a four-time grand slam champion, having become the youngest man to win major titles on every surface. So soon after the era of the three greatest players of all time – Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer – he has still managed to distinguish himself as a unique, singular talent armed with such a complete, varied game. His supreme mental strength is reflected in his 4-0 record in grand slam finals and he possesses ability to often find his best tennis in the biggest moments of the most significant matches. At his age, he still has plenty of room to grow.
This match, however, like their Olympic final five months ago, underlined the difference between being a talented, mentally strong player and being an utterly obsessive winner with an unparalleled killer instinct, a champion willing to go to hell and back for two decades in pursuit of success. It showed what it takes to keep on sweeping up major titles for such a long time.
While Djokovic made the best of his circumstances on Tuesday night, Alcaraz became passive and nervous under pressure. He spent far too much time thinking about his opponent’s physical conditions rather than ensuring that Djokovic paid dearly for trying to tackle him while struggling physically. During his short time on the professional circuit, Alcaraz has shown that he often learns quickly from his shortcomings and he left the Australian Open with one of the biggest lessons of his career so far.
