For the first time, Novak Djokovic has lost an Australian Open final.
Yet despite Sunday night’s loss to Carlos Alcaraz, the result felt in some ways like one of the Serbian legend’s most triumphant moments in his 11th Australian Open decider.
Chasing a historic 25th career Grand Slam, the 38-year-old fell just shy against a world No.1 at the peak of his powers, bowing out in four sets as the oldest man in the Open Era to compete in an AO final.
After Alcaraz closed out the match, Djokovic crossed the net with a proud smile and a warm hug before addressing the Spaniard in his runner-up acceptance speech.
“What you’ve been doing, the best words to describe it is historic, legendary,” he said to Alcaraz, who became the youngest man ever to complete the career Grand Slam.
“You’re so young, you have a lot of time, like myself,” he joked.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other many more times in the next 10 years … not!”
Djokovic and Alcaraz’s battle marked the men’s singles final with the biggest gap of age in the Open Era at 15 years and 349 days.
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It couldn’t have started any better for the elder, with Djokovic using pinpoint tee serves to win 93 per cent of his first serve points and showing off a variety of shapes from a forehand widely considered as one of the greatest of all time.
His brilliance, however, triggered the best in Alcaraz – and once the Spaniard got downwind, it was as if Djokovic was playing a younger version of himself.
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“He definitely is one of the best players I've ever faced in my career,” Djokovic said.
“He makes you play your best tennis in order to beat him; it's what I've done for, like, a set and a half, but then things changed, and he deserved to win.”
Whether it was a sizzling shot around the post, a crafty drop shot or an aggressive approach to the net, Djokovic couldn’t engineer his way past Alcaraz’s unmatched athleticism, artistry and alchemy for long enough to reverse the scoreboard pressure.
“He's a very smart, all-around player that obviously changes tactics and adjusts his game depending on how he feels the opponent is playing, so I knew that he's going to switch things around and he's going to raise his level,” Djokovic said.
The Serbian roared to the crowd at big moments late in the fourth, but said the close loss just “wasn't meant to be,” before heaping further praise on the Spanish champion.
“The results are a testament to his already stellar career. I can't think of any other superlatives about him,” Djokovic said.
“He deserves every bit of the praise that he gets from his peers, but also the whole tennis community.
“He's a very nice young man. Good values, nice family. Of course, already a legendary tennis player that already made a huge mark in the history books of tennis, I mean, with only 22 years of age.”
In a record 38th Grand Slam final, and with Margaret Court sitting on 24 major singles titles, Djokovic was looking to become the player with the most singles Grand Slam titles in history.
His five-set semifinal victory over defending champion Jannik Sinner also put him on the precipice of becoming the first player to defeat the world No.1 and No.2 at the same major.
The stakes were enormous and the stage matched the moment, as 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal watched on beside another AO champion, Ken Rosewall.
At one point, as Alcaraz relentlessly defied logic, Djokovic shrugged towards Nadal – who he famously defeated in the longest major final of all time at Rod Laver Arena in 2012 – and yelled out, “Want to play?” Nadal smiled and laughed.
Djokovic’s AO26 campaign elevates him one spot higher at No.3 in the rankings.
He has reached the semifinals in six of his last seven majors, and although the dream of a 25th major still eludes him, he departs Melbourne as a champion whose name is forever woven in the fabric of the tournament, with a legion of fans in his corner.
“You guys, particularly these last couple of matches, gave me something that I have never experienced in Australia – that much love, support and positivity. It’s been incredible,” he said in an emotional end to his speech.
“I must be very honest and say I didn’t think that I would be standing in a closing ceremony of a Grand Slam once again, so I think I owe you the gratitude for pushing me forward the last couple of weeks.
“God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six months or 12 months. It has been a great ride. I love you guys.”