Novak Djokovic produced a sensational comeback to stun rival Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the Australian Open 2025 semi-finals in Melbourne.
The Serbian, who is a 10-time Australian Open champion and has been a dominant force at the hard-court event since he lifted his first major in Melbourne Park in 2008, showcased a high-quality three-hour, 37-minute display against Alcaraz.
“I want to say my utmost respect and admiration for Carlos, everything he stands for and what he has achieved so far in his career,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview.
“What a terrific guy he is, and an even better competitor. Youngest ever No. 1 in the world, four Grand Slams, and I’m sure we are going to see a lot of him… Maybe not as much as I would like, but he is going to be there for sure longer than me. I just wish this match today was the final, honestly. It’s one of the most epic matches I have played on this court, on any court really,” he added.
On the other hand, the 21-year-old Alcaraz was aiming to become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam, having triumphed at the US Open (2022), Wimbledon (‘23, ‘24) and Roland Garros (‘24).
However, Alcaraz could not quite find the answers against a pumped-up Djokovic, who has now won all three of the pair’s hard-court meetings, including a three-hour, 49-minute Cincinnati final thriller in 2023.
With his impressive quarter-final victory against Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic has become the third man in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals at the Australian Open aged 37 or older, joining Ken Rosewall and Roger Federer.
After a highly-anticipated match at the Australian Open 2025, Djokovic and Alcaraz shared a warm embrace at the net.
“When Novak plays at this level, it’s really difficult. It was a really close match,” said Alcaraz.
Djokovic will face German second seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.
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