MELBOURNE – The tension, nerves and cold of Melbourne turned into hugs, euphoria, warmth and laughter between both protagonists on the night of Sunday, 1 February. Carlos Alcaraz conquered Australia and claimed what had obsessed him; Djokovic did not leave empty-handed. Tennis will remember it forever.
The 22-year-old dropped to the court the instant his unprecedented achievement was confirmed. He started the match without spark and finished it all smiles, wrapped in the arms of his team in an emotional celebration.
“Job done: 4/4, completed,” wrote the youngest man in history to win all four Grand Slams on the camera lens, after a day in which the temperature dropped below 15°C.
Djokovic, experiencing the unfamiliar feeling of losing in a final in Australia, crossed the net first, smiling as well, to embrace his rival. His first speech as a defeated finalist made clear what he had already said after beating Sinner in the semi-finals: that reaching the final was already a tremendous victory.
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Before the formal speeches, Djokovic and Alcaraz shared laughter and hugs. A complicit conversation that showed the respect and good relationship between them.
“Honestly, I never thought I would be at a Grand Slam trophy ceremony again,” confessed the Serb, holding the silver plate with the AO letters in his hands. Djokovic embraced that “victory”: he proudly lifted it and showed genuine joy.
“I’ve never felt so much love and support from the crowd here in Australia as in these last two matches,” said the ten-time champion in Melbourne. Over two decades, he had lived bittersweet moments with the Australian public.
“Nole! Nole! Nole!” chanted the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
Rafael Nadal, watching the final from the front row in Melbourne, drew affection and jokes from both finalists.
“It feels strange to see you sitting there after all the battles we had on court,” Djokovic told the man he faced sixty times, including the longest final in Australian Open history (2012).
After memorable semi-finals, Djokovic and Alcaraz arrived on the final day in Melbourne to write the most significant chapter of a rivalry built on iconic moments.
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The broader conversation often revolves around the Alcaraz and Sinner matchup. That is the new blood likely to extend its dominance for more than a decade; however, the meetings between the Spaniard and the Serb are the ones loaded with the most consequential milestones.
The 2023 Wimbledon final marked the symbolic passing of the torch from the Big 3 era to the young generation; the Olympic gold-medal match in Paris 2024 allowed Djokovic to reach the last summit missing from his career, while breaking the Spaniard’s heart; and the title clash in Cincinnati was the most dramatic final in Masters 1000 history.
Cramps all over his body neutralised Alcaraz at Roland Garros 2023 and, a little over a year earlier, he claimed a significant win over Djokovic in the Madrid Open semi-finals after beating Nadal, just before lifting the title in front of his home crowd, having just turned 19.
The crowning moment came in Australia, perhaps the last final between the 22-year-old who is already immortal and the Serbian legend, owner of almost every record in a sport Alcaraz wants to dominate.
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