They were two crushed bodies. The one, 22 years old and in the prime of his sporting life, admitted: . And the other, 16 years older, 38, recalled: “Biologically, I think it will be a little easier for him to recover…”. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic retired to their respective hotels on Friday without a single second to lose, because, after all, what they see ahead is too sweet not to give one last push. Fatigue? What is fatigue at this point and with two such appetizing historical morsels ahead? The streets of Melbourne vibrate strongly.
The metallic crackling of the trams anticipates an explosion of happiness: whichever way it falls, today’s final at the Rod Laver Arena (9.30, Eurosport and HBO Max) will bring a wonderful and significant outcome. History or story. No half measures. Tennis has recently become accustomed to the routine of counting down rounds until Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – now out of the picture, eliminated by the Serbian – now comes a surely unsuspected episode. There is the Spaniard, but, new, in front of him will not be his traveling companion, but the myth. But how is it possible…? It is.
Djokovic, the old wolf. Did anyone see it coming? Probably not. Or maybe yes. No one trusts Nole more than Nole himself, and the zillions of escapism tricks. Difficult to predict that it would get here. Not meritorious, the following. Already considered more than amortized, the Balkan has been repeating for a long time that he continues to rally for something more than accompanying and trying, it is not a simple seasoning. His blood still boils. He wants it, he needs it. And there in front of you is 25, the eleventh trophy in Australia. How could I not go for it?
“He [Alcaraz] He also had a demanding game. But I’m a few years older than him, of course,” said the Balkan after surprising Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, after a jump of 4h 07m that defeated the Italian against all odds. Suddenly, Djokovic moved again like in the good times, plugged in, completely in a trance. “I’m getting old, but here I am, I’m still here. I still compete to reach finals like this and try to enjoy the moment. My preparation is what it should be. Last year I already beat him here, in a very tough match as well. We’ll see how fresh we both get,” he continued.
The physicality, a differentiating factor of a tournament that has taken place at the stroke of birds. Sinner (24 years old) was almost beaten by the heat in the fourth round; Djokovic suffered blisters during the duel against Lorenzo Musetti; and on Friday Alcaraz had to dodge, which required him to spend 5h 27m on the track. A lot, too much, even for a bursting physique like his. “The body has memory,” said the Spaniard, while rescuing his most guerrilla message to rebuild himself against the clock.
4 kilometers and 4 more hours
“In the finals you can’t be tired.” “I hate giving up.” “At no time have I felt dead“, he put the one from El Palmar first, from less to more throughout these two weeks -, , , , and Zverev in between – and swim to carry out the last episode. It was epic or nothing. His quality and versatility that allows him to decipher matches on the fly are always praised, but the incalculable value of being a hardhead is often omitted. It was as a child, it is today. Sinner knows it, Zverev knows it and Djokovic confirmed it at the time.
“He has that mental resistance,” the Serbian emphasized when he bowed for the first time – it would be two more later – on the grass at Wimbledon, in 2023. A month and a half before, he had already sweated more than necessary to contain that boy in Paris who, despite the cramps, called him there. He won’t forget when he took the first tumble either. And he had to use all his excellence to defeat him both in the Cincinnati frying pan and in the Paris Olympic Games. That day, Djokovic made a monumental effort, on par with (if not more than) those he previously made to fight Nadal.
On alert, he knew that the next time the strategy would not be enough. So, fox him, he got right into her mind. Nobody has gotten more oil out of the doubts. . “Someone who is thinking about retiring doesn’t play like that afterwards…” Alcaraz questioned that night, after the veteran stopped the game due to a muscle ailment. Privilege bodywork, his, as well as that of the Spaniard, who this Saturday reserved his strength and did exclusive recovery work because the beating that required the comeback against Zverev forced a rest.
Any precaution is insufficient, taking into account that despite having had to push against Sinner, the one from Belgrade faces him with four kilometers and a game and a half less in his legs. Up to this point, Djokovic has covered a distance of 13.4 kilometers, compared to 17.6 kilometers for the circuit leader, who in turn has invested four more hours on the court; 17h 21m for one, for 13h 16m for the other. If Alcaraz totaled 7.5 kilometers in the debut and subsequently an average of about 8.5, against the Hamburger the calculation rose to 15.6. Djokovic, for his part, started the tournament with 6.4 and the counter rose on the last day to 13.4.
Recover fluidity
“This already sounds like I have won, but in a couple of days I will fight against the number one and my desire is to play face to face against him,” the 24-time champion warned at dawn. If he has the record of records within reach, breaking the tie with the Australian Margaret Court and definitively ruling the history of his sport, in addition to celebrating his eleventh success in Melbourne, his opponent aspires to become the ninth player who has managed to conquer the four majors, at least once each of them, with the incentive that he could leave another mark that would season his extreme precocity: he would be the youngest to achieve it.
Alcaraz remains: the goal was and is even more Australia. The reporter asks him again: “Would you change this to win the other three majors this season?” He, categorically: “No, no, I would choose this one. Yes, even if I make it to the final of the other three [Roland Garros, Wimbledon y US Open]. I’d rather win this one than win the other three to complete the Grand Slam as the youngest.” Headstrong, he doesn’t usually give up when he has something between his eyebrows. So he stretches out on the stretcher so Juanjo Moreno can massage his muscles, he grits his teeth and rewinds to find inspiration. , when he comfortably dispatched the Serbian from New York.
Reverential respect for him. “Novak has that history, that aura, that legend. And all that influences and makes it more complicated,” he commented in Flushing Meadows. Four months later, he is back at it. Him, the almighty and long-lived Djokovic on the other side of the net, and the story: “We are going to try to play looser, more fluid, more to my style.” “No one gives you a gift, but there comes a time when things work out. With the right mentality and being positive, everything comes when it has to come.”
Maybe this is the time.
FRESHNESS, WIND AND SERVICE
A. C. | Melbourne
After several days of intense heat, the temperature began to drop on Thursday in Melbourne and this Sunday the conditions will be rather cool. The forecast anticipates between 16 and 20 degrees during the course of the final, with a low probability (7%) of rain. Cloudy sky and considerable wind.
Alcaraz is one step away from raising his seventh major title, with which he would equal historical figures such as John Newcombe, John McEnroe or Mats Wilander. If he does, he would join Rafael Nadal (2009 and 2022) as the only Spaniards to have triumphed in the tournament.
For this, one of the fundamental scales will be the serve. The Spaniard has described a clearly ascending line, while his rival has also registered outstanding percentages. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) metrics reflect equality.
Djokovic has signed two aces (44-42) and one more double fault (14-13). Both have largely safeguarded the service – 87% of the Serbian, 91% of the Spanish -, although Nole’s index with the seconds is lower (61%-51%), although he compensates for it by putting out fires in the balls of break (76%-68%).
It should be remembered that the Balkan has played ten finals in Australia and won them all. Alcaraz, for his part, has played eight and only lost in the last Wimbledon, against Sinner. In particular crosses, the first one rules: 5-4. In hard, 3-1 also in their favor.
