Australian Open 2025: Novak Djokovic reaches semi-finals for the 12th time, defeats Alcaraz in quarter-finals
Novak Djokovic Wins In Quarter Final: The king of Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic registered a spectacular victory in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open on Tuesday (January 21, 2025), where he defeated his rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Reminded everyone that they are difficult to beat in Melbourne. The Serbian is a 10-time Australian Open champion and has been a dominant force at the hard-court event since winning his first major at Melbourne Park in 2008. However, Djokovic suffered a disappointing semi-final defeat to eventual champion Jannik Sinner in Melbourne last year and failed to win a major in a season for the first time since 2017. Djokovic dispelled any doubts about his ability to add to his 24 major titles with a high-quality performance of three hours, 37 minutes against Alcaraz.
In windy conditions and in front of an electric crowd at Rod Laver Arena, the seventh seed overcame an early physical problem by red-lining the ball for long periods. Djokovic received a medical timeout at 4-5 in the first set and returned with his upper left leg taped, but he did not let the problem deter him. Under the guidance of coach Andy Murray, the Serbian responded by crushing the ball from both wings to gain the upper hand in brutal baseline exchanges, while also limiting Alcaraz’s ability to effectively utilize drop shots. Hit very deeply. In another fierce encounter between the two, Djokovic put his body on the line to fight off any resistance from Alcaraz, winning heart-breaking exchanges on several occasions.
After sealing victory on his first match point, Djokovic roared before embracing the Spaniard. Djokovic now leads Alcaraz 5-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head Series as he advances to a record-extending 50th major semi-final. Standing in his way to an 11th Australian Open final is Alexander Zverev, who defeated Tommy Paul in four sets on Tuesday. Djokovic said in an on-court interview, “I want to express my full respect and admiration for Carlos, what he stands for and what he has achieved so far in his career. What a wonderful person he is, And an even better competitor than that, the youngest No. 1 in the world ever, four Grand Slams, and I’m sure we’re going to see a lot more from him… maybe not as much as I’d like, but definitely from me. I just want to stay there for a long time. Today’s match is honestly one of the best matches ever played on this court, on any court.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz aimed to become the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the US Open (2022), Wimbledon (’23, ’24) and Roland Garros (’24). However, the third seed could not find an answer against a fired-up Djokovic, who has won all three hard-court meetings between the two so far, including a three-hour, 49-minute Cincinnati final thriller in 2023 . On Tuesday night in Melbourne, breaks were exchanged in the first three games of the match. Djokovic took advantage of the Spaniard’s slow start to lead 2-0, before Alcaraz hit a crucial point when he fired a backhand winner down the line to end a 26-shot rally and break back straight .
Both players struggled to reach their best level in the opening set, which was affected by the wind, while Djokovic left the court at 4–5 to receive a mid-timeout with his upper left leg taped. Alcaraz, in contrast, looked fresh as the set went on and the third seed hit drop shots brilliantly throughout, making good use of the wind to beat Djokovic and take an early lead. The Serbian struggled with his movements at times in the opener and was less aggressive in the first set, hitting three winners compared to Alcaraz’s 13, according to Infosys Stats.
Djokovic responded by taking a 3–0 lead early in the second set, as Alcaraz’s level dropped slightly. However, the 21-year-old tried again to win back the break of serve and took advantage of Djokovic’s overheating on the forehand wing to level at 3-3. The Spaniard troubled Djokovic with his cunning and power, but the Serbian player was more active in the final stages of the set. Djokovic shortened the length of the rallies, increased his aggression to earn the decisive break of the set and level the match.
When asked about his medical time-out, Djokovic said, ‘The effect of the medication was visible and there is no doubt that it helped. I had to take another dose, it sounds horrible, but I had to. If I had lost the second set, I don’t know if I would have been able to continue playing, but I was feeling better and better. I managed to play some great games to end the second set. I saw that Carlos was hesitating at the back of the court. I started feeling better and moving better. at the end of the match [दर्द] Didn’t bother me, only in the second set. I will see tomorrow morning what the reality is when the medicines start showing effect. Right now, I will try to enjoy this moment and enjoy this victory.
Djokovic continued to take big cuts of the ball from both wings to put pressure on Alcaraz in the third set. The Serbian hit 11 winners in the set and committed only four unforced errors, while breaking Alcaraz twice. The highlight of the set came on set point, when Djokovic won a huge rally that saw both players charging from one side to the other inside Rod Laver Arena. The Serbian put in a strong performance after taking a two-one lead, before gaining momentum in the fourth set.
According to Infosys Stats, Djokovic finished the match with a 31-27 winner-to-unforced error count. He is the third man in the Open era to reach the Australian Open semi-finals at the age of 37 or older, joining Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer.
Also read- Lionel Messi will come to India after 14 years, Argentina will play two matches in India next year