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Carlos Alcaraz took his final leave from Rod Laver Arena this year consumed by frustration. Losing at the Australian Open, the first grand slam tournament of the year, was painful enough, but Alcaraz’s disappointment was particularly down to how he had lost.
Novak Djokovic had visibly begun to struggle with a leg injury early in their four-set quarter-final, but instead of focusing on his own game, Alcaraz found himself staring across the net and thinking too much about his opponent’s condition rather than about what he needed to win. While the Spaniard’s focus wavered, Djokovic’s difficulties inspired his most offensive, decisive tennis, and he willed himself to a miraculous victory.
That meeting was the last encounter in what has become one of the most unusual rivalries the sport has seen. At 38 and 22 respectively, Djokovic and Alcaraz were born 16 years apart. Their first meeting at the Madrid Open in May 2022, won by Alcaraz, occurred two days after his 19th birthday and two weeks before Djokovic turned 35. Considering that significant age gap, just one match between them would have been a fortunate outcome.
Instead, when they enter Arthur Ashe Stadium for their semi-final match on Friday, they will have met on every single major stage in professional tennis: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, the Olympic Games and ATP Finals. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 5-3 and those meetings have included some of the most memorable matches in the sport, from Alcaraz’s recovery to win his first Wimbledon title in 2023 to Djokovic’s career‑completing Olympic gold medal triumph last year.
The contrasting dynamics of their careers have always been at the forefront of this match, with the Serb desperately fighting to maintain his high level despite his advancing age while Alcaraz attempts to mature and grow as he moves closer to his physical peak.
This tournament has underscored both of those challenges. After spending his early years succeeding despite his wavering focus and impulsive shot selection, Alcaraz has never been more consistent. The 22‑year‑old is seeking to reach an eighth consecutive final and a third major final in a row. The confidence he has gained from an immense summer has afforded him his first run to a grand slam semi-final without dropping a set. Alongside his improved concentration and clarity of thought on each point, the development of Alcaraz’s serve into an increasingly consistent weapon has been invaluable.
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Preamble
I wonder what Novak Djokovic thinks when he looks at Carlos Alcaraz and sees a smiling assassin who stopped him from winning that elusive 25th grand slam title in last year’s Wimbledon final, has already accumulated more majors than he had at the age of 22, is loved and adored in a way Djokovic never has been and has emphatically made sure – along with Jannik Sinner – that the Serb is no longer the main man in tennis.
You wouldn’t blame Djokovic if he hated the sight of the Spaniard (though with Carlos that’s hard) or at least felt some envy towards today’s semi-final opponent, who serves as a reminder of the time the 38-year-old doesn’t have left in tennis and the one remaining piece of history he still hasn’t claimed.
But there’s a sense that Djokovic may slowly be making peace with his borrowed time. He said before this tournament he doesn’t really want to be missing out on family events any more for tennis. Beyond the grand slams, his desire to continue playing has waned this year. Could this even be his last US Open? If he claimed undisputed GOAT-ness by winning the title, you feel it may be.
What does seem certain, however, is that, barring an Alcaraz injury, Djokovic will not only have to play a near-perfect match but also hope his body holds up – which it hasn’t always done at the business end of slams over the past two years – if he’s to win today. Yes, he beat Alcaraz in last year’s Olympic final, but that was over the best of three sets, and yes, he also won their Australian Open quarter-final in January. But the Alcaraz in Melbourne was a shadow of the New York version of Alcaraz, who’s combined a new laser-like focus with his already supreme shotmaking to reach the last four of a slam without dropping a set for the first time.
Alcaraz has been locked-in from the start and is now loaded for a likely third consecutive major final against Sinner (Bryan will be here later to take you through Sinner v Felix Auger-Aliassime). It’s now up to Djokovic to see if he can defy not only tennis’s duopoly, but also age, the odds and any sense of logic.
The players will arrive at: 3pm New York time/8pm BST.
While you wait: here are the highlights from that 2024 Olympic final and also their five-set arm wrestle in the 2023 Wimbledon final. Take your pick.
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