By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Novak Djokovic staged a rousing revival defeating Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a marathon match to reach his 12th Australian Open semifinal.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
Pounding his palm over his chest, Novak Djokovic delivered a heart-racing triumph—and celebrated with an emotional explosion.
Down a set and hobbled by injury, Djokovic staged a rousing revival defeating Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a wild marathon match to advance to his 12th Australian Open semifinal.
Continuing his quest for a 100th career championship, including a 25th major crown, Djokovic battled into his 50th major semifinal.
The seventh-ranked Serbian will face world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a battle of the former and current Olympic gold-medal champions for a spot in Sunday’s AO final. Djokovic, who is 8-4 lifetime vs. Zverev, will play for his 100th career AO match win and 12th Melbourne final.
Earlier, Zverev defeated 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1 to reach his second straight AO semifinal and third overall.
Deep desire, some superb shotmaking and a couple of doses of meds helped Djokovic defeat Alcaraz for the fifth time in eight meetings, improving to 3-0 on hard courts against the talented Spaniard.
“I just wish this match today was the finals, honestly,” Djokovic told Jim Courier in his on-court interview. “I don’t know if Sasha Zverev is still awake at 1 .a.m. if he’s still watching this.
“One of the most epic matches I've ever played on this court—on any court really—so thank you all for staying at 1 a.m and supporting us.”
Four-time major champion Alaraz was 55-1 in Grand Slams when winning the opening set, but looked bamboozled and frustrated at times tonight.
In this rematch of the Wimbledon final and Olympic final, Alcaraz kept fighting and had a break point to get back on serve in the fourth set, but Djokovic dropped the hammer.
“Since I’m still in the tournament I don’t want to reveal too much, obviously,” Djokovic said when asked about his injury issue. “The medication started to kick in and they started to help no doubt. I had to take another dose, sounds awful, but I had to.
"If I had lost the second set I don't know if I would continue playing. But I felt better and better managed to play a great couple of games to end the second set.”
Taking a medical timeout for treatment of an apparent hamstring or groin issue, Djokovic returned to Rod Laver Arena with his left thigh strapped.
The 37-year-old Djokovic proceeded to dress-down Alcaraz with aggression, a stinging second serve—and his vast experience. Djokovic converted six of 13 break points—he broke first in all four sets—and protected his second serve with more care winning 58 percent of second serve points compared to 33 percent for Alcaraz.
Only Djokovic knows how badly he’s injured—and he said even he won’t know until after the meds wear off—but there’s no question the Grand Slam king got in Alcaraz’s head lulling him into a false sense of security then blowing his mind with some tremendous running gets.
The reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner showed his frustration at one point looking at coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and hobbling on his own leg as if questioning how badly his opponent was really hurt.
"I think everybody saw in the second set he's struggling a little bit to moving," Alcaraz said. "I don't know if it was more running to the forehand or running to backhand, but obviously he was struggling.
"Then the third and fourth set, I didn't see anything bad from him. So I'm not saying, like, he made a show. I just saying that, I don't know. It's obvious and everybody saw it that he's struggling in the second set. Then the third and fourth set he showed he was really good."
Afterward, Djokovic said the injury gave him clarity. He knew he needed to amp up aggression, take it to the Spaniard and for the most part that’s precisely what he did.
“Back in 2023 I actually had a similar injury and carried it basically from the beginning of the tournament and had to go for my shots more,” Djokovic told Jim Courier in his on-court interview. “Honestly, sometimes it helps. It definitely helped in the second and third set.
“We are so nervous on court. A lot happening, you are going through emotional turmoil. Any point can shift momentum to the other side, particularly when you're playing such a high level against a champion like Carlos. He brings intensity, incredible energy and competitive spirit to the court so you’ve got to come out and be at your best. I knew that.
“It was unfortunate what happened toward the end of the set for me, but in that perspective it does help mentally because all of a sudden you start to play a bit more aggressive you go for your shots more I guess that’s going to be necessary for me when I play Zverev in the semis.”
The first set was even after eight games when Djokovic seemed to strain his groin or hamstring running right for a forehand. Djokovic grimaced a bit and seemed to shake his head in the direction of his box as he faced a break point.
On his third break point, Alcaraz drew a forehand error breaking for 5-4 with a loud “come on!”
Calling for the trainer, Djokovic left the court for treatment after 46 minutes of play.
When Djokovic returned to court with taping wrapping his left thigh and play resumed, Alcaraz drilled an ace to snatch a one-set lead after 54 minutes.
The seventh-seeded Serbian slashed an ace down the T to start the second set with a love hold.
Knowing his movement was compromised, Djokovic began opening up his shoulders and playing closer to the lines. A heavy diagonal forehand from Djokovic elicited an error as he broke for a 2-0 lead for the second straight set.
On the strength of some sharp serving, Djokovic held firm for 3-0, prompting wife, Jelena, and son, Stefan, to leap from their seats pumping fists in response.
Alcaraz, who was 55-1 in majors after winning the first set, held at love to stop a three-game slide. Though Djokovic tried the serve-and-volley, the Spaniard was not surprised smacking a pass the Serbian could not handle to break back for 2-3.
During a lengthy sixth game, Alcaraz repeatedly tested the Serbian superstar’s movement dabbing drop shots into the front court to hold after six games.
The Grand Slam king did not bow to his injury—or a hard-charging Alcaraz. Djokovic drilled two winners down the line breaking to seize the second set and force a decider after one hour, 44 minutes.
Moving better and firing with confidence, Djokovic flicked a running backhand pass for a break point in Alcaraz’s opening game of the third set. The man in the sleeveless shirt shirked trouble holding to level the third set after two games.
Cranking clean combinations and some probing returns down the line, Djoknovic earned a break point in the sixth game. A frustrated Alcaraz could not crack Djokovic’s defense and netted a backhand giving the 10-time champion the break and a 4-2 third-set lead.
Though Djokovic had all the momentum, he clanked his first double fault of the night off the tape to face triple break point.
Dancing around his backhand a few times, Alcaraz lashed a heavy forehand into the corner to break back for 3-4.
Shrugging that lapse off, Djokovic stormed back through a love break then stuck his index finger behind his ear asking AO fans to make even more noise as he broke for 5-3.
Straddling the baseline, Djokovic picked off several deep drives from Alcaraz on the rise.
Then came eruption.
Running down an Alcaraz dropper, Djokovic then turned race with is back to net to chase down a lob. Alcaraz tried to attack but Djokovic bulleted a backhand pass to end the third set in style.
After that game, Alcaraz stood in front of his court-side seat and stretched out his own right hip hobbling around briefly while looking at his box as if casting critical commentary on Djokovic moving beautifully after his first-set hip issues.
That act showed Djokovic was in Alcaraz’s head and the Serbian superstar used it all to his advantage breaking immediately to open the fourth set.
A calm Djokovic was dotting all areas of the box on serve as he consolidated the break for a 2-0 fourth-set lead.
Though Alcaraz earned a break point in the fourth game, Djokovic locked down the baseline with an unerring barrage to save it.
Showing explosiveness on the run, Djokovic slid into a split and flick a slice forehand pass down the line. Alcaraz, on the attack, over-ran it and was burned by the brilliant shot as Djokovic cracked a wide smile holding for 3-1.
The aggressive Djokovic second serve was an unsettling weapon. When under duress at times Djokovic drove his second serve into Alcaraz’s hip challenging the Wimbledon winner’s backhand wing. Djokovic drew a botched backhand error holding for 4-2 in the fourth, as his wife Jelena, leaned forward in her seat clapping encouragement with the finish line in sight.
Physicality spiked to a phenomenal level as the two champions went toe-to-toe in an electrifying, epic rally that spanned all areas of the court and say a desperate Alcaraz stab back running backhands to extend the point before pulling it out.
Rod Laver Arena fans roared in appreciation saluting the pair with a sustained standing ovation after a jaw-dropping 43-shot rally. Both champions were gulping deep breaths of recovery; chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore wisely extended the time before starting the serve clock in a concession to a crazy and challenging point.
A smiling Alcaraz served out that game holding for 3-4 then dropped back deeper behind the baseline to return serve in the eighth game.
Embed from Getty Images
Fans chanted “Nole! Nole!” urging the 10-time champion, who was down 15-30. Alcaraz earned double break point but framed a forehand then saw Djokovic pull off a perfect serve-and-volley play to draw even at deuce. Djokovic stood tall holding for 5-3.
Seeing the finish line, Djokovic raced through it serving out a tremendous fight then turning to his box and roaring in a primal scream.
“Recovery, that’s all I'm thinking about,” Djokovic said. “The extra day with no match comes at the perfect time.
"Let’s see if it's going to be good enough on Friday."
“Hopefully I can come out and feel my best because Sasha is playing some of the best tennis he’s played. We have an agreement that as long as I play he’s gonna let me win Grand Slam matches.”