A clash of generations — that is how a Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz match can be safely looked at. On Tuesday, when they meet in the Australian Open quarter-finals, it will be the eighth face-off between the 37-year-old and his rival, who’s just 21.
While a match-up like this is bound to grab headlines, what adds to it is the fact that it is only the quarter-finals of a grand slam. How did this unlikely scenario unfold? Well, for starters it is rare to see Djokovic ranked as low as seventh in a grand slam. And that landed him in the same half of the draw along with Alcaraz, seeded second.
Djokovic, now being coached by Andy Murray after failing to win a major in 2024, had missed several tournaments towards the end of the year which led to whispers about his future.
But he has silenced all that, focusing on the ‘Happy Slam’, eyeing a record 11th title in Melbourne, his 25th overall. The Australian Open was where he got his maiden grand slam title way back in 2008 and since then he has made it his happy hunting ground.
On the other hand, Alcaraz, one of the most exciting players in the circuit at present, has never gone past the quarter-finals in Melbourne. The four-time grand slam champion lost in the quarters last year to Alexander Zverev. This is one trophy the Spaniard craves, having won all the other three majors. A roadblock in the form of Djokovic is not something he would have looked forward to.
Will Tuesday be an indicator of a new champion emerging, or will Djokovic stay on his record-breaking course? That is the question tennis aficionados all over the world are asking.
Going by numbers alone, in the seven times the duo have met earlier, Djokovic has won four times, including the 2024 Paris Olympics final. The only other time they met in 2024 was at the Wimbledon final which Alcaraz won.
If Alcaraz wins on Tuesday, it will be the first time he would beat Djokovic on hard court. Tuesday’s match at the Rod Laver Arena will be their first meeting before the semi-finals at any tournament for the duo and their first hard-court clash at a major.
And, interestingly, two former world No.1s, Murray and Juan Carlos Ferrero, are coaching Djokovic and Alcaraz, respectively.
An age difference of 16 years, a grand slam titles difference of 20 — the rivalry is almost unimaginable. Yet, it has been playing out for the past few years, ever since Alcaraz shook up the world winning the US Open in 2022.
Has he made major changes to his game to counter Djokovic on hard court? Alcaraz told the ATP website: “Not really. I change my game a little bit. It’s not going to be the same game style when I’m playing on grass or clay court obviously.
“I think everybody has their weakness. It doesn’t matter if we’re playing on one surface or another, we are going to still have the same weakness. What weakness Novak has? Just few or none. I know what I have to do... This is going to be the first time that I am playing against him in a grand slam on hard court, so let’s see.”
Djokovic said: “I’m expecting a big battle, as it’s the case in most of our matches where we faced each other… Maybe just a couple of times it was quite one-sided. The Wimbledon finals last year — he was the dominant force on the court. I had a really good match against him in the (ATP Finals) in 2023.
“Other than that, we had some long battles... Reminds me of my matchups versus (Rafael) Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court.
“He is a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Great to watch but not that great to play against… I like the way I’m playing and the way I’m feeling in the last couple of matches. I’m excited about that challenge.”