It’s a little hard to find words in the immediate aftermath of such a historic match. We wondered whether we’d get the final this clash of generations deserved or if we’d see a shellacking of an exhausted Novak Djokovic.
In the end, we got both.
Djokovic offered a searing reminder of his greatness in the first set. He blew Carlos Alcaraz off the court; it wasn’t close. That set was so decisive it’ll be used in future barbershop arguments for why Djokovic’s peak is higher than Alcaraz’s, even though Alcaraz eventually won the match.
But that set seemed to drain the last of Djokovic’s reserves — and no wonder, given the five excruciating sets he played against Jannik Sinner on Friday. He lost the second without a fight, then the vital third after a drawn-out service game.
Djokovic returned for the fourth set. His serve flayed numerous break points early and he stayed afloat long enough to give Alcaraz an almighty scare in the ninth game.
On the first point of the final game, Alcaraz soaked up Djokovic’s offense and returned it with his own, until a weary Novak found the net. That exhausted the last dregs of gas in the old legend’s tank, and the young legend fell to the ground in ecstasy four points later.
This wasn’t an epic but in hindsight, it didn’t have to be. The moments of mastery, competitive tension, and emotion from two great athletes were more than enough.
