Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
In moments of exhaustion and excitement, Novak Djokovic Approved Margaret Court in the crowd, thanking her for staying up so late to watch him win a victory and become the most decorated tennis player of all time.
Court, 83, was one of the VIP guests at Rod Laver Arena to watch Djokovic’s epic five-set victory over the two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner A grueling semi-final that ended at 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Currently, they jointly hold the historical record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. That could change on Sunday.
Djokovic beats Sinner in exhausting fashion to set up title fight Carlos AlcarazThe 22-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz and Sinner teamed up to deny Djokovic his bid for a 25th major title, with the pair sharing the last eight major titles.
In an on-court interview at the end of Day 13, Djokovic thanked the court for staying to see him snap a five-match losing streak against Sinner and end a four-match losing streak in the Grand Slam semifinals.
“There are legends who stay up until two in the morning!” he said. “Thank you so much for being here.”
Djokovic holds almost every record he can hold, surpassing those set by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He is one more than Serena Williams, who holds the Women’s Open era record of 23.
He made no secret of the fact that he only spent the coveted 25th day in Australia.
Some analysts debate the greatness of Court’s career, as she won 13 of 24 major singles titles before the Pro Open era began in 1968.
Not Djokovic. To him, numbers mean a lot.
10/10
After defeating “Sin Karaz” in half the match, Djokovic reached the 11th final of his career at Melbourne Park and had the opportunity to challenge for another match. He had won all 10 of his previous matches.
Djokovic, 38, said he was sore and tired and might not train much on Saturday, instead prioritizing recovery.
Alcaraz also said he would focus on recovery after battling cramps and soreness in his right leg following his five-set, 5-hour, 27-minute victory over Alexander Zverev. It was the longest semi-final in Australian Open history.
It wasn’t the longest match ever played at Melbourne Park – unsurprisingly, Djokovic holds the record with a 5:53 victory over Rafael Nadal in the 2012 final.
Djokovic faced Alcaraz in five sets in the semifinals and praised his persistence. Alcaraz warmed up on an exercise bike and Djokovic was still preparing for tonight’s delayed start.
25 ’26 goals
Djokovic said that when he set goals for the season, he asked himself: “Okay, what do I want from myself?”
“I imagined being in the final stages of a Grand Slam with Jannik and Carlos really competing and duking it out,” he said. “Very lucky to have gotten it in the first major of the year.”
Djokovic admitted he was lucky to reach the semi-finals and after being eliminated in the fourth round, Lorenzo Musetti withdrew after taking the first two sets in the quarter-finals.
Against Sinner, Djokovic dropped his head at times and was almost out of breath, but his resilience was astonishing. Sinner failed to convert eight break opportunities in the fifth set – just two of 18 in the match – while Djokovic converted his first break opportunity in the deciding set.
Alcaraz was also inconsistent in the third set, requesting a medical timeout for what he believed was an adductor injury to his right leg. It turned out that it was more likely a spasm. This will be his first final in Australia.
“I have to do everything I can to perform my best in the final,” Alcaraz said.
Djokovic has not won a major since the 2023 U.S. Open, but while others may have given up on his chances, he never doubted he could reach that level.
“There were a lot of people who doubted me…a lot of experts suddenly wanted me to retire,” he said. “I want to thank all of them because they gave me strength. They gave me motivation to prove them wrong.”
One for all ages
Djokovic aims to become the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era. Alcaraz aims to become the youngest player ever to win all four Grand Slam titles.
“For me, for Carlos, because of his age and everything he has achieved, history is at stake,” Djokovic said.
hard choice
Nadal will play in the final on Saturday and was asked to pick a favorite champion.
“I feel like I have to support Carlos,” Nadal said of his fellow Spaniard. But “if Novak wins, I’ll be happy for him. What he’s done at this stage of his career is amazing.”
___
AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis