Alcaraz wins in Australia, Djokovic inches away from 25th Grand Slam title
MELBOURNE, Australia — As true champions do, Novak Djokovic treated the match as something worthy of the effort as he clinched a record-tying 25th Grand Slam title in just two sets.
In an Australian Open final with both men chasing history, 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz beat Djokovic in four sets on Sunday night.
“You didn’t speak to me until 10 minutes after I lost the final, so of course I feel a little bit bitter about the loss,” Djokovic said at his official press conference after the final. “But again, I lost to the No. 1 player in the world and already a legend.”
It was the first time Djokovic had lost a final at Melbourne Park, where he has won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam singles titles. This is already a record in the men’s tennis and Open era. It’s something he’s still determined to improve.
He ended a run of four consecutive Grand Slam semifinal defeats with two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, one of two men who had stood in his way of a 25th title for two years.
He took down Alcaraz in the other game but couldn’t get the job done, still recovering from an epic semifinal that ended at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.
“I know I probably have to beat two of them to get the title,” Djokovic said. “I beat one of them, which is great, so it’s a step up from where I was last year in the Grand Slams. Very good, encouraging.
“But, you know, it’s not enough for me. I’m going to keep working hard and see if there’s still a chance.”
Djokovic, 38, said he lowered his expectations when he publicly acknowledged that Alcaraz and Sinner are playing at a higher level than anyone else in tennis, which relieved some of the pressure. But he didn’t lose confidence and he could still beat anyone at the time.
Several breaks helped Djokovic reach his 38th Grand Slam final, including a fourth-round loss and a lucky reprieve after trailing two sets in the quarterfinals before Lorenzo Musetti retired injured in the third set.
That prepared him for the five-set clash against Sinner and meant he spent four hours less on court than Alcaraz before the final.
But when there’s less than 48 hours between big showdowns, a 16-year age gap seems huge.
“It was great that I was able to beat Janik in five games and actually go against Carlos in four close games,” he said. “Yeah, after an incredible start, I was still disappointed in second and third, I felt good about myself and then, yeah, things changed.
“But, of course, when you draw a line and evaluate what has happened over the past few weeks, for me to be able to reach the final and maybe be a few sets away from winning the title is an unbelievable achievement.”
Alcaraz said that every time he faced Djokovic, it was like a master class. “Every time I can feel his aura on the other side of the net, it is an honor for me.”
He said Djokovic’s performance was also encouraging because critics believed Djokovic was too old to break the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly or reach another major final.
“It’s unbelievable what he’s done,” Alcaraz said. “If he maintains this level of tennis throughout the season, you know, he’s going to win great things.
“It depends on where he is physically or how physically demanding the tournament is on him, but I think he’s ready to keep winning big tournaments.”
