Novak Djokovic had barely even begun to digest the madness of one of his great late-career victories, still fighting back tears on Rod Laver Arena, when he was asked by his on-court interviewer to cast his mind ahead to the final.
After his monumental five-set Australian Open semi-final win over Jannik Sinner, where he matched the quality, intensity and athleticism of one of the two commanding players in men’s tennis, he was immediately reminded that Carlos Alcaraz, the other dominant player, was next: “I just hope that I’ll have enough gas to stay toe to toe with him,” said Djokovic. “That’s my desire, then let the gods decide the winner.”
He was deadly serious. Even now, with so much mileage in his legs at 38 years old, Djokovic has never doubted his ability to still match the level of the best player in the world. His durability, however, is another issue altogether and he struggled to recover physically from tough best of five sets matches throughout last season.
It cost Djokovic so much energy to put Sinner away after four hours in such a high-intensity match. Even before he thinks about his prodigious opponent across the net, Djokovic’s biggest concern is his recovery.
Fortunately for the oldest Australian Open men’s finalist in history, Alcaraz at least shares similar worries. Around an hour before Djokovic and Sinner entered the court on Friday, Alcaraz added yet another match to his portfolio of improbable comeback victories, fighting back from cramps and a fifth-set deficit break to reach his first slam final in Melbourne.
Considering how much of his movement he recovered by the end, it seems likely that Alcaraz’s physical issues against Zverev were merely cramps. With rest and diligent recovery, many players often do not have any lingering physical issues after cramping episodes, particularly 22-year-old players. However, Alcaraz spent five hours, 27 minutes on court against Zverev, just two minutes shy of his win over Sinner in last year’s French Open final.
The second Saturday of a grand slam usually provides an opportunity for the two finalists to feel the ball on the practice court, but this time both players were nowhere to be seen, prioritising their recovery.
This final will be a historic moment regardless of who triumphs. Djokovic would become the oldest grand slam singles champion, extending his open era record to 25 titles. Alcaraz will try to become the youngest male player to win the career grand slam at just 22 years old. It is not hyperbolic to call this a meeting between the greatest old man in the history of tennis and a player making a strong case for being the sport’s greatest young player.
The two players are 16 years apart in age. That they have enjoyed such a storied rivalry is unprecedented in men’s tennis. They first faced each other in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters in 2022, where a 19-year-old Alcaraz underlined his potential by defeating Djokovic in three tight sets before toppling Rafael Nadal in the final.
They have played some of the great matches of the 2020s and have been each other’s foil in some of their most important moments, with Alcaraz showing his penchant for dramatic comebacks with his five-set win over Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final. A year later, Djokovic summoned every ounce of his willpower to overcome the Spaniard at the Paris Olympics and win the gold medal he had craved for decades.
Nobody understands the challenge of trying to overcome two preeminent players quite like Djokovic. This was the story of his early career, as he forced himself into the Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal duopoly, eventually rising above both.
Then came a long period where Djokovic was the incumbent No 1 and defeating him after overcoming Nadal or Federer was the greatest test. In this final stretch of his career, with a conclusion still nowhere in sight, Djokovic is halfway to taking out the two shiny, new champions at the top of the sport he commanded for so long. He is exactly where he wants to be.
