By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Novak Djokovic once again proved his doubters wrong after beating the younger and quicker Carlos Alcaraz in an epic Australian Open quarterfinal showdown- 4.6, 6.4, 6.3, 6.4- on January 21, 2025, at the Rod Laver Arena in Australia.
The 37-year-old living legend proved time and time again that he can still duke it out with the current stars of the sport, flashing a vintage performance to set up a semifinal duel with world no. 2 ranked male tennis player Alexander Zverev.
It’s not evident if you only look at the score but the match was filled with intense rallies, tremendous mid-game counter-adjustments, and a tiny bit of drama and spice.
Djokovic left his supporters in a tense state after exiting the venue towards the end of the first set due to an upper leg injury.
After minutes of waiting, Djokovic returned inside the playing court with a tape applied to his upper left leg and decided to continue despite not being in a 100 %.
With no excuses, Djokovic nursed his leg injury and negated a one-set deficit when he stunned Alcaraz in the next three frames.
From a slower style of play, Djokovic committed to trying to close the sets faster, and that strategy was to preserve his left leg for the upcoming marathon.
Djokovic didn’t settle for the top-spin exchanges and his usual gauging shots. Instead, he quickly piled up return ace scores and applied a flat stroke to his service possessions, an adjustment that Alcaraz didn’t see coming.
As the match reached midway third set, Djokovic completely stole the momentum and left Alcaraz behind after scoring three consecutive break points capped off by a service hold to claim game point.
However, Alcaraz showed some signs of life after holding his service, only to be spoiled by Djokovic’s serve-and-volley play that ended the four-hour match.
It was amazing how Djokovic made quick work of Alcaraz in the last three sets despite the injury, a testament to his high skill level and his signature IQ in tennis’ brightest lights.
“I wish this match today was the final. I guess the key is recovery for me. To be honest, that’s all I’m thinking about. The extra day with no match comes at the perfect time for me,” said Djokovic after the win.
