Novak Djokovic will return to the Madrid Masters next month. The three-time Caja Magica champion will compete in the Spanish capital for the first time since 2022 and only the second after 2019.
ADVERTISEMENT
Thus, Novakshould enter the opening four Masters 1000 events of the season, making a change in comparison to 2024 and playing much more often at the series where he has achieved so much.
He is 30-9 in Madrid, debuting in 2006 on an indoor hard court and reaching the semi-final a yearlater.
The Serb has been among the players to beat at Caja Magica since 2009, losing that epic semi-final to Rafael Nadal in 2009 and lifted a trophy two years later over his great rival. Djokovic fell to Janko Tipsarevic on the blue clay in 2012.
A year later, Grigor Dimitrov ousted him in the second round, with Novak playing against his rival and the entire stadium. The Serb did not play in Madrid in 2014 and 2015, and he returned in glory in 2016. Djokovic ousted Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Andy Murray for his second Madrid Masters title.
ADVERTISEMENT
Novak lost to Rafael Nadal in 2017 before lifting his third trophy in 2019 over Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic returned to Madrid in 2022 and reached the semi-final. The legend embraced a massive battle with the home favorite Carlos Alcaraz.
They pushed each other to the limits before Carlos prevailed 6-7, 7-5, 7-6 after three hours and 37 minutes. The young gun bounced back after the opener and prevailed over the former champion after a thriller. The Spaniard dropped serve only once.
He seized two of ten break opportunities and survived in games nine and 11of the secondset. Alcaraz forced a decider and closed it in the tie break to emerge at the top a day after beating Rafael Nadal on the same court.
The Spaniard squandered a 4-2 advantage in the first set. Djokovic erased the deficit in the eighth game and provided two holds at love for a 5-4 advantage. The home player saved a set point in the tenth game for more drama before Novak claimed the tie break 7-5.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Serb saved a break point in the sixth game of the second set and earned a massive chance to deliver probably a crucial break at 4-4. The more experienced playermissed a routine forehand at 30-0, squanderingan opportunity to generate three break chances.
Alcaraz held at 30 and denied another break point at 5-5 to remain in contention. The young gun broke the legend in the 12th game, wrapping up the set 7-5 and forcing a decider after over two hours. They saved the best for last, with the final set lasting an hour and a half!
Novak worked hard on serve in games four and six, denying six break points and remaining on the positive side. Carlos saved a break point in game seven and earned a match point on the return at 5-4. Djokovic saved it with a service winner and extended the battle.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Serb denied a match point in game ten with a powerful serve and locked the result at 5-5 after four deuces for more drama. Both players served well in games 11 and 12 to arrangea deciding tie break, the best way to determine the winner of a titanic battle!
Carlos moved 4-2 in front and landed a powerful serve in the eighth point for 5-3 before Novak pulled a mini- break back with a deep return. The Serb missed a forehand in the tenth point and faced two match points.
He saved the first with a service winner before Alcaraz cracked a forehand down the line winner at 6-5 to notch a notable victory and move over the top.
