Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz was one of the most watched and exciting rivalries in all of tennis last year. Their match-ups created some iconic moments, both on and off the court.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz were the two best players heading into the Cincinnati Open in 2023. Revenge was certainly on Novak’s mind as he had lost Wimbledon, a month prior, to Carlos Alcaraz in the finals. And the Serb delivered on his promise. The match wasn’t easy for either one of them. It stretched for a record 3 hours and 49 minutes, the highest duration for ‘A Best of 3’ since 1990.
The Serbian was left gasping after he succeeded to win the match 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4) and beating the then No. 1 player, Carlos Alcaraz. The win was a grueling one for the 36-year-old, and he didn’t hesitate to praise the Spanish player for the intense fight and grit he displayed.
Novak Djokovic had this to say about his young Spanish rival :
“Boy, you never give up man. Jesus Christ. I love that about you. But sometimes I wish you’d maybe play a few points like this.”
Carlos Alcaraz responded to Novak’s comment with a witty reply of his own.
“Spanish never die.”
Novak acknowledged the point and said that he had experienced a similar rivalry with another Spanish player before. The arch-rival of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal.
“I’ve heard that before, Or I’ve experienced this before.”
A recap of the Novak Djokovic – Carlos Alcaraz rivalry from 2023
Tennis Fans watched a spectacle unfold as the young gun from Spain, Carlos Alcaraz, climbed up the ranks to become the World No. 1 and challenge one of the greatest players in tennis history, Novak Djokovic.
The duo have played five matches against each other, four of which came in 2023. However, what makes this rivalry truly special is the number of iconic moments these two have already created playing each other.
Their first match-up came at The Roland Garros’ Semi-Finals when the Serb defeated Alcaraz in four sets 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Despite being a competitive match in the first two sets, it was soon fizzled due to leg cramps for Carlos. Novak went on to win the French Open for a third time by defeating Casper Ruud in the finals.
The rivals soon started brewing as they faced each other again at the Wimbledon. This next encounter was probably the most iconic match of 2023. The Spaniard defeated Djokovic in a highly competitive five-set with a scoreline of 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
Novak would go on to defeat and take back the edge in their rivalry by defeating him at the Western & Southern Open (Cincinnati Open) Finals in three sets; 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4). The highlights of that match can be found above.
Their final match of the season came at the Nitto ATP Finals Semi-Finals when Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in straight sets of 6-3, 6-2 to reach the finals. This win also marked a ‘final nail in the coffin’ for Novak, as he secured the year-end World No. 1 ranking.
Tennis fans can expect more of this rivalry in 2024 as neither of them appears to slow down.
