The Australian Open’s first marquee match-up is here.
Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic held up his end of the bargain to lock in a dream quarter-final against Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz, who is missing only a title at Melbourne Park to complete his grand slam set.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will meet in the Australian Open quarter-finals this week.Credit: Getty
Another straight-sets dispatching of a talented Czech, this time by a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) scoreline over Jiri Lehecka on Sunday night – after ousting Tomas Machac a round earlier – propelled Djokovic into a record-extending 61st career major quarter-final.
Alcaraz advanced earlier on Sunday to his second straight Australian Open quarter-final when British 15th seed Jack Draper retired from their match because of injury while trailing 7-5, 6-1.
“I look forward to it. I think when the draw was out; a lot of people were looking forward to potential match-up in the quarter-finals, Alcaraz versus me, so here we are,” Djokovic said.
“I think we both are hitting the ball pretty well this tournament. I like the way I’m playing and the way I’m feeling the last couple matches. I’m excited about that challenge.
“It was a great match-up for me prior to Alcaraz. Of course, I wasn’t thinking about Alcaraz before winning this match, which I didn’t see myself as a clear favourite.
“I’m really glad to be able to beat both Machac and Lehecka in straight sets. That encourages me to believe I can win against any opponent really on a good day when I’m feeling my best.”
Looking ahead to what was only a potential clash at the time, Alcaraz joked that Djokovic was “not the right player to play in a quarter-final”.
They have never played before the semi-finals in any of their previous seven meetings, which have all come in grand slams, Masters 1000s, ATP finals or the Olympics.
Djokovic’s 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) defeat of Alcaraz in the gold-medal match at last year’s Paris Olympics edged the 37-year-old ahead 4-3 in their head-to-head.
Alcaraz was in tears afterwards, saying later that he felt he had “let all Spanish people down”, while for Djokovic the common retort was that he had completed tennis, given the Olympics was the sole major singles event he had not won.
That result came only three weeks after the Spaniard beat him in the Wimbledon final for the second year in a row – and this time far more convincingly than their five-set epic in 2023.
“I’m expecting a big battle, as it’s the case in most of our matches where we faced each other,” Djokovic said.
“Maybe just a couple of times it was quite one-sided. Wimbledon finals last year; he was the dominant force on the court. I had a really good match against him in the World Tour Finals in 2023.
“Other than that, we had some long battles, long exchanges kinds of matches that I played against him. [They] remind me of my match-ups versus [Rafael] Nadal, in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court.
“He’s a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Great to watch; not that great to play against.”
Something Alcaraz insists he won’t do is think about Djokovic’s legendary resume and what conquering him again would do for his own legacy.
“If I think about everything he has done in tennis, I couldn’t play [him],” Alcaraz said.
“I mean, 24 grand slams, the most weeks at No.1, everything. He almost broke every record in tennis. I’m trying not to think about that when I’m in the match. I’m just trying to beat him.
“I know my weapons. I know that I’m able to play good tennis against him, [and] I’m able to beat him. That’s all I’m thinking when I’m facing him.”
Alcaraz’s last-eight berth at the Open gives him 10 in his grand slam career, drawing him level with greats Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Mats Wilander for the most by any man at age 21.
He lost both his previous hardcourt meetings with the super Serb, but he did not believe that was relevant.
“I think everybody has [a] weakness. It doesn’t matter if we were playing on one surface or other – we are going to still have the same weakness,” Alcaraz said.
“What weakness Novak has? Just few, or none. I know what I have to do on clay, hardcourt, grass. 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.”
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