Novak Djokovic knocks Carlos Alcaraz out to qualify for Australian Open semifinals

Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to qualify for the 2025 Australian Open semi-final.

Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final of the 2025 Australian Open. The Serbian was a set down and also hurt his leg during the second set but the 37-year-old eventually scripted a phenomenal comeback to win the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. With the win, Djokovic moved closer to his 25th career grand slam. He will face Alexander Zverev next in the semi-finals, slated to be played on Thursday, January 23.

It will be his 12th semi-final at the Australian Open, having won the tournament 10 times previously. Djokovic will also be playing his 50th Grand Slam semi-final, the most by any player in the Open era. In the match against Alcaraz, the Serbian suffered a setback early on but Djokovic stamped his authority to win three back-to-back sets to progress to the semis.

He looked unstoppable since the medical timeout and a couple of errors from Alcaraz shifted the momentum towards Djokovic. Meanwhile, in Round 1, the 24-time Grand Slam champion defeated Nishesh Basavareddy 6-4 3-6 4-6 2-6. In the second, Jamie Faria lost to Djokovic 6-1 6-7(4-7) 6-3 6-2 and in the third round, the world number seven defeated Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. In the Round of 16, Djokovic won 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) against Jiri Lehecka.

He has been a dominant force in the tournament and if keeps up with the momentum, Djokovic can create history, by becoming the first tennis player to clinch 25 individual Grand Slams. Meanwhile, after his win over Alcaraz, Djokovic credited Alcaraz for putting up a competitive fight and added that the Tennis world will see more of him in the future.

“I want to say my utmost respect and admiration for Carlos, everything he stands for and what he has achieved so far in his career. What a terrific guy he is, and an even better competitor. Youngest ever No. 1 in the world, four Grand Slams, and I’m sure we are going to see a lot of him… Maybe not as much as I would like, but he is going to be there for sure longer than me. I just wish this match today was the final, honestly,” Djokovic said in his on-court interview.

“It’s one of the most epic matches I have played on this court, on any court really,” he added.

Having already won Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the US Open, Alcaraz was eyeing to become the youngest player to complete career Grand Slam. Being only 21, he still has two more years to achieve the milestone