Alcaraz hung in and, with the approval of the crowd, tried to rally late in the fourth. Yet Djokovic stayed one step ahead of him tactically.
With Djokovic serving at 4-3, Alcaraz cracked two winners and went up 15-40. Then Djokovic, with a veteran’s sense for when to ambush an opponent, got back to deuce by following a kick second serve in and volleying it away.
Serving for the match at 5-4, Djokovic fell behind 15-30. Again, he made a smart and surprising play, going behind Alcaraz with a forehand for a winner. He used the Spaniard’s speed against him.
Before this match, I wondered if Djokovic could replicate his 2024 Olympic gold-medal effort over the course of best-of-five, in a quarterfinal. I doubted it, but I was wrong. He played with an edge, desperation, and self-belief that was similar to what he showed in Paris.
Djokovic let the tennis world know that he’s all-in for his 25th major, and all in for the 2025 season. Along the way, he gave his rival and possible successor a GOAT-style lesson in how to grab your chances by the neck and never let them go.
