Give Andy the Erling Haaland nine-and-a-half-year deal, Novak. While you’re at it give him the freedom of Belgrade and the Order of the Republic of Serbia, too.
Under the eye of his new coach, Novak Djokovic earned one of the most titanic and unlikely victories of his career, shrugging off a hamstring injury to beat Carlos Alcaraz ‘on one and a half legs’.
The 37-year-old won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 and will face No2 seed Alexander Zverev on Friday for a place in his 11th Australian Open final.
‘One of the most epic matches I have played on this court – on any court,’ said Djokovic in the immediate aftermath.
Andy Murray has seen this movie more often than most – Djokovic going from hobbling wreck to superhuman. It must have made a nice change to be cheering the Serb on from the sidelines as his coach, rather than looking on with bemusement and confusion as his opponent.
That role was filled by Alcaraz, who had looked lethal until Djokovic tweaked his hamstring. It was a brutal lesson for the 21-year-old and after crushing Djokovic in last year’s Wimbledon final he has now lost twice in a row: in the Olympic final in Paris and here in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic rolled back the years in a stunning quarter-final win over world number three Carlos Alcaraz
Djokovic’s new coach – and former rival – Andy Murray watched on at the Rod Laver Arena
The Serbian prevailed in four sets after appearing to injure his groin in the first on Tuesday night
A penny for the thoughts of Herr Zverev, sat in front of the TV with his size 12 feet up watching his prospective opponents knock seven bells out of each other. The 27-year-old beat Tommy Paul 7-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-1 yesterday and is playing the best tennis of his life. Can Djokovic possibly recover enough to take him down? He won this title in 2021 with a torn muscle in his abdomen, and again in 2023 with a rip in his hamstring. Can he do it again?
‘I won’t go into detail but it’s very similar to what I had in 2023,’ said Djokovic when asked to confirm it was a hamstring issue. ‘I have to assess the situation when I wake up. I will try to do as much as I possibly can with my recovery team, with my physio. I’ll take it day by day. I’m concerned, to be honest.’
In terms of Djokovic’s hopes of winning the title, the injury is of course a blow, but in this match alone it paradoxically turned the tide in his favour.
He was awfully passive in the first eight games of the match, managing only three winners and generally failing to lay a glove on his opponent. It felt as though Djokovic was just hoping for Alcaraz to miss; he had no agency in the match at all.
Then at 4-4 he sprinted to retrieve a drop shot and it was apparent something had tweaked. In the courtside coaching pod Murray put a hand to his head in disbelief and woe. Has the poor man not suffered enough on a tennis court, that now pain must be visited upon him vicariously?
Djokovic went off court to receive medical treatment and was given painkillers by the doctor. When he returned, he came out hobbling but swinging.
‘I just had to go for my shots,’ said the No7 seed. ‘Honestly, sometimes it helps. It definitely helped in the second and third set.’
The Serb plays injured better than anyone else. The way he manages his body, husbands meagre resources and shifts his gameplan is extraordinary. If, in some dystopian alternate reality, injuries were ritually inflicted on every player before each event then Djokovic would have won 50 Grand Slams instead of 24.
The record Grand Slam winner[r received treatment on his left groin during the thrilling match
Alcaraz looked in complete control but relinquished his command and was unable to reassert his dominance
It was very reminiscent of Djokovic’s fourth-round match against Francisco Cerundolo at Roland Garros last year, when he won despite tearing meniscus in his knee.
Just as against Cerundolo, Djokovic knew he had to survive in this match until the painkillers kicked in. At the start of the second set he blasted three return winners to break for 2-0 and, even though Alcaraz soon broke back, that early lead bought Djokovic the time he needed.
He served superbly and his returning was beyond belief; those two foundation stones kept him in it while his body began to recover.
In retrospect, Alcaraz had a half-hour window to kill his man off and he missed it. Djokovic admitted if he had lost the second set he might have called it quits.
‘I felt like I was controlling the match and I let him get into it again,’ said Alcaraz. ‘That was the biggest mistake I made.
‘In the second set he had issues moving and I had to play better just to push him to the limit – I didn’t do it. After that, he started to feel better and was playing such a great level.’
As if on either end of a seesaw, Alcaraz’s aggression lessened as Djokovic’s increased. ‘When you see someone struggling physically, it seems like it’s going to be easier,’ said Alcaraz. ‘In your mind you’re thinking, OK, I have not to make mistakes. Then you’re not hitting the ball the same way you’re hitting before.’
Djokovic looked back to his best on Tuesday night as he moved into the final four in Melbourne
The 37-year-old will play No2 seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-final on Friday in Melbourne
Asked if he sensed his opponent taking his foot off the gas, Djokovic replied: ‘I saw it. I tried to use that hesitation to take the initiative in the rallies.
‘Then a set all, I start to feel better. He starts to play with a bit more hesitation from the back of the court. I started to play more freely.’
Djokovic was incredible in the third and fourth sets. It feels almost redundant to talk tactics after a win which was all nerve and will, but a decisive factor was how Djokovic targeted the Alcaraz forehand with his second serve. Not exactly a new approach but if coach Murray played a part in reinforcing that then he has earned his corn already.
When the win was secured, Djokovic roared at Murray and went in for a hug. ‘It was a gesture of appreciation,’ said Djokovic. ‘This was a huge win for all of us, including for Andy and myself, for the relationship. That’s why I went to him, because I just felt very grateful that he’s there.’
The Scot was brought in to help his old rival to combat the forces of youth; to take down Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Zverev must be dealt with next but so far it is one down, one to go.
