Djokovic Triumphs Over Alcaraz to Reach 50th Grand Slam Semi-Final at Australian Open
Written By Maureen Shileche
January 21, 2025
Novak Djokovic recovered from a set down to defeat his rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a highly anticipated match at the Rod Laver Arena, taking a 5-3 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Djokovic faced difficulties in the opening set due to windy conditions, and things worsened when he sustained an injury, prompting a medical timeout at 4-5. He returned to the court with his upper left leg taped, but Alcaraz went on to win the set.
After dropping the first set, Djokovic, a 10-time Australian Open champion, bounced back to win the next three sets and secure a spot in his 12th semi-final at the year’s first Grand Slam. With the victory, he became the first man to reach 50 semi-finals at Grand Slam tournaments.
With former rival-turned-coach Sir Andy Murray offering guidance during the tournament, Djokovic hit with great depth to counter Alcaraz’s effective drop shots. The Serbian also delivered powerful shots from both wings, gaining the upper hand in the intense baseline rallies.
Djokovic finished the match with 31 winners and 27 unforced errors, while Alcaraz recorded 50 winners and 40 unforced errors. Following the victory, Djokovic embraced his coach, Murray.
In his on-court victory speech, Djokovic explained the embrace, saying, “It was a gesture of appreciation and respect for him, for the fact that he’s out there and he doesn’t need to be. He accepted to work with me. He’s giving all his support to me, to the whole team, and trying to make it work.”
The world No. 7 will next face Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals, after Zverev also defeated Tommy Paul in four sets: 7-6(1), 7-6(0), 2-6, 6-1.