"During Friday's semifinal, Alcaraz battled through injury, cramping and even vomiting during the 5-hour, 27-minute encounter -- not to mention some incredible play from Alexander Zverev -- and still pulled off the victory. Asked afterward about how he won despite the circumstances, Alcaraz said he kept "believing, believing, all the time." And that gets to the heart of what makes Alcaraz so good. He knows he can win, no matter what, and fights until the last point."
"Also, and it might seem incredibly backward because he's 16 years younger than his opponent, but Alcaraz has to end the match quickly. After his epic, energy-sapping five-and-a-half-hour semifinal win over Zverev in the heat of the day, the longer this final lasts, the more the pendulum swings in Djokovic's favor. It's not just because the 24-time major champion is fresher, having spent four fewer hours on court to reach the final,"
The Australian Open final pairs world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz against Novak Djokovic with major history on the line: Alcaraz can complete all four majors while Djokovic can claim a record 25th Grand Slam. Alcaraz endured a 5-hour, 27-minute semifinal, overcoming injury, cramping and vomiting while maintaining belief and fighting to the last point. His remodeled serve has been a key weapon, and higher first-serve rates will pressure Djokovic's return game. Alcaraz holds a physical edge but needs to keep the match short. Djokovic brings greater freshness and decisive experience in tight Grand Slam moments.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]