Bill Simons
When the Aussie Open draw emerged, all eyes were on one match – the Djokovic vs. Alcaraz quarterfinal battle.
Can you imagine boxing great Joe Louis fighting Muhammad Ali, or golfer Jack Nicklaus taking on Tiger Woods in match play? This is what the Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry is like.
The irrepressible Spaniard, just 21, remains in the fresh dawn of his career. We still delight in his moments of innocence. But Nole, with his deepening lines and a certain war-weary skepticism, clearly is in the twilight of his singular career.
They are two ships sailing in different directions. When Carlos was two years old, Nole was reaching the third round of Wimbledon and the French Open. By the time the Spaniard had started to play Slams in 2021, Novak had won 18.
Great intergenerational tennis matches go way back. Berkeley’s rising star, Helen Wills, just 20, and France’s Suzanne Lenglen, who was called “the goddess,” played just once, in 1926. Fans descended on Cannes for the first great event of women’s sports – “The Match of the Century” – in which the aging Lenglen prevailed.
More than a half century later, Jimmy Connors would take on hot-lava Andre Agassi. In the US Open press room, some reporters wore “Connors sizzles while Agassi fiddles” t-shirts.
More notably, in 2001, a still green Swiss savant, 19-year-old Roger Federer, took down the then commanding king of Wimbledon, Pete Sampras, in their only meeting. To this day, it’s the most memorable changing-of-the-guard match in tennis history.
Later, young Rafa schooled Andy Roddick, who later admitted, “The dumbest thing I did in my life was to feel happiness when they subbed in an 18-year-old kid.”
But when it comes to ongoing intergenerational rivalries, there’s been nothing like the Djokovic-Alcaraz faceoffs. Before tonight at the Australian Open, the duo had split their four last matches. In 2023, as both players cramped in the debilitating Cincinnati heat, Novak prevailed in the best three-set match of the Open Era.
Carlos took two Wimbledon finals over Novak before the Serb won in the finals of the Paris Olympics. Both men wept,
Now the 37-year-old Serb has won his gold medal, the prize he’d most craved. His key foes had retired, his name was all over the record books and he was widely said to be the GOAT.
So, would the game’s elder still be motivated?
Well, yes. He hired his great rival, Andy Murray, to be his coach. Michelangelo never asked Leonardo da Vinci, “Hey, Leo, can you do me a favor and give me a tip or two?”
Tonight, in suddenly chilly Melbourne, the gods didn’t do Alcaraz any favors. The cold would presumably help the precise technician from Serbia, not the free-swinging Spaniard.
Not surprisingly, young Carlos was edgy – his early play was spotty. Novak gained an early lead, but Carlos quickly righted the ship and soon was running Nole to the corners – until the ninth game, when Djokovic landed hard and jammed his upper leg. Carlos soon grabbed the first set 6-4. Nole, a hobbled old warrior, left the court to be patched up. Perhaps Carlos thought, “I got this thing!”
But nobody copes with injuries more adeptly than Nole. His grit and problem-solving are weapons. Few dig deeper – experience matters.
The Serb returned with a wrap on his thigh and passion in his eyes. He began to hit out with abandon – slide and pounce, all or nothing.
He later admitted, “Sometimes an injury helps. I had to go for my shots.” He unleashed running forehands, blasted aces, charged the net and scored impressive winners.
His movement was less labored, his confidence grew, and he prevailed in grueling rallies. “Djokovic may be wounded,” observed Pat McEnroe, “but he’s still swinging.”
As the No. 7 seed took the second set 6-4 and went up 3-0 in the third, Serbians chanted their mantra, “Nole! Nole! Nole!” and Murray nodded in quiet approval.
Hugging the baseline, taking the court away from Carlos, attacking the Spaniard’s second serve, Djokovic broke twice en route to a 6-3 third-set win. His second serve was money. The wizard’s variety and shot tolerance had the kid’s head spinning. He punished Carlos’s tepid returns. “I can’t get anything going…What am I supposed to do?” Carlos asked his courtside team.
Alcaraz did battle back boldly in the fourth set, and won an astonishing 33-stroke rally. He dished out all he could. But, as he has for decades, Nole survived one test after another. He brushed aside break points that could have changed the tide. After his 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory, Novak blew kisses to the crowd, and, with some exaggeration said, “This is one of the most epic matches I’ve played on any court.”
A fan’s sign said it all – “Prince Carlitos, King Novak.” Tonight the old man once again howled: “Kid Carlos, you’re great – but I still rule. There’s no way you’re going to become the youngest player to win a career Grand Slam on my watch.”
But there’s no rest for the mighty. To win his eleventh Aussie Open and to surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 Slams, Novak will next have to get by No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the semis and perhaps No. 1 Sinner in the final.
But Djokovic will again be able to call on his not so secret weapon. John McEnroe noted, “He has the will few other athletes in history have had – Tom Brady, Jordan, Serena.”
Nole’s fellow Serbian Janko Tispsarevic made a similar point, saying, “Djokovic’s greatness is not because he came from poverty. Rather it is because he wants to be the best of all time and is willing to do whatever it takes…Nothing else satisfies his hunger. You saw this with LeBron, Kobe, Ronaldo and Muhammad Ali. If they are not the best, they want to commit suicide.”
LITTLE LOVE FOR SINNER: When GQ Magazine asked Novak to offer one-word responses on top players, the Serb said:
Roger Federer – Elegant
Rafa Nadal – Tenacity
Carlos Alcaraz – Charisma
Jannik Sinner – Skier
SIGN OF THE TIMES: A fan of the world No. 1 held up a placard reading, “I’m a Sinner.”
GAUFF’S GONE: Coco was hot. Her fans hoped that she would extend her 13-match winning streak and beat Paula Badosa for the third straight time to set up the match everyone was hoping for: Coco vs. Aryna Sabalenka in the semis. But the resurgent Spaniard, who once was No. 2, took full advantage of Gauff’s error-strewn play. In her last big Slam match at the US Open, Coco suffered 19 double faults. Today. her retooled forehand let her down. She had 28 errors on that wing, and No. 12 seed Badosa marched forward, 6-4, 7-5 to her first ever Slam semi, where she’ll meet her close friend Sabalenka.
Coco later explained that she’s going to stick with her increasingly aggressive forehand and hopes it becomes more instinctual. She explained, “I feel like I’m playing with solutions; I know what I need to work on.”
A WOMAN OF VALOR: For three years, Elina Svitolina has been at the forefront of the battle for Ukrainian freedom. During this time she gave birth to her daughter Skai. She had two screws inserted into her ankle last September, upped her game, got to four Slam semis and is 9-0 against Russians. Elina, who faces Madison Keys in the quarterfinals, said, “[My] fighting spirit is completely a Ukrainian spirit that…[is] a way to to bring a little light.“
Prakash Amritraj noted, “She has something deeper she’s fighting for. When you find someone who can pull out their pain and use it, that’s when miracles are possible.”
ON LIFE SUPPORT: When asked about the status of serve and volley play in the men’s game, John McEnroe replied, “It’s on life support.” But aren’t doubles and the Davis Cup also on life support?
GO FIGURE: Aryna Sabalenka hasn’t lost a hard court match at a Slam since the 2023 US Open.
THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT: Emma Navarro, who’s played four three-setters en route to the AO quarters, has been on court for 10:14. Iga Swiatek, who’s scored three bagel set wins, has been on court for 4:30.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You want to know where my power comes from – it’s pure genetics.” – Aryna Sabalenka.
