"Losing at the Australian Open, the first grand slam tournament of the year, was painful enough, but Alcaraz's disappointment was particularly down to how he had lost. His opponent, Novak Djokovic, had visibly begun to struggle with a leg injury early in their four-set quarter-final, but instead of focusing on his own game, Alcaraz found himself staring across the net and thinking too much about his opponent's condition rather than what he needed to win."
"Their first meeting at the Madrid Open in May 2022, won by Alcaraz, occurred two days after his 19th birthday and two weeks before Djokovic turned 35. Considering that significant age gap, just one match between them would have been a fortunate outcome. Instead, when they enter Arthur Ashe Stadium for their semi-final match on Friday, they will have met on every single major stage in professional tennis:"
Carlos Alcaraz left Rod Laver Arena consumed by frustration after losing at the Australian Open, largely because he dwelled on Novak Djokovic's visible leg injury during their four-set quarter-final rather than on his own game. Djokovic responded to his difficulties by playing the most offensive, decisive tennis and produced a miraculous victory. The rivalry between the 38-year-old Djokovic and the 22-year-old Alcaraz spans a 16-year age gap and has seen meetings at every major stage: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open, the Olympic Games and the ATP Finals. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 5-3 and their matches include Alcaraz's Wimbledon comeback and Djokovic's Olympic gold.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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