Novak Djokovic's career really seems to know no end. When the former world number 1 seems to be in decline, he always finds a way to silence his detractors and to show all his greatness. The Serbian legend was considered a clear underdog by bookmakers on the eve of her match against Carlos Alcaraz, which put a place in the semifinals at the 2025 Australian Open up for grabs.
Although he had a minor adductor injury, the 37-year-old from Belgrade reacted like a champion and reached his 50th semifinal in a Grand Slam tournament. The current world number 7 adopted a perfect tactic that shattered the certainties of his young opponent, who thought he was in control of the match until the middle of the second set.
Carlitos showed all his current weaknesses, but Nole was really able to exploit them in his favor and achieve yet another feat in his legendary career. During his press conference, the 4-time Grand Slam champion admitted that Novak's physical problem distracted him a bit.
Nole responds to Carlitos
Djokovic admitted that he might have retired if he lost the second set, but taking a painkiller helped him play his best tennis in the third and fourth sets.
"I noticed that Carlos lost a bit of concentration due to my injury and I tried to use that situation to my advantage," confessed the Serbian. "I tried to be more aggressive during rallies and took advantage of his doubts. I found myself in the situation where my opponent had physical problems and I understand the feeling well. I didn't feel well in the second set, but the situation improved as the minutes went by and I felt less and less discomfort. He panicked and started thinking more about me than about himself," she added.
Nole will face German ace Sascha Zverev for a spot in the final on Friday. The latter is playing very well at Melbourne Park in this edition and has just defeated the American Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.
