When Carlos Alcaraz left the Australian Open last year, the disappointment of losing to a half-fit Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, after capitulating in the face of the Serb’s wily, disruptive tactics, was palpable.
Twelve months have made a world of difference. As he defeated Djokovic 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 to become the youngest player in men’s tennis history to complete the career Grand Slam, traces of last year’s humbling have all but vanished. He possesses a whirring forehand, an elite return of serve, an incredible burst of athleticism and a deftness of touch and variety. Despite all those weapons, Alcaraz’s victorious, history-making run in Melbourne Park was proof that grit and determination have become just as synonymous with him as flash and exuberance.
He swatted aside the massively popular home favourite, Alex de Minaur, in three clinical sets in the quarterfinals. He sealed a sensational, unlikely come-from-behind victory in five sets over Alexander Zverev in the semifinal. It saw him overcome a cramping body thanks to a steady diet of pickle juice and intense self-belief.
Sunday’s final was a simmering potboiler. Djokovic had the crowd, eagerly willing him on to see him make more history, eating out of his hands. He was riding momentum and biding his time. The Serb is an expert in tactical tanking: he isolates the moments where giving his 100% is not worth it, conserving his energy for when it is. That is much of the reason why he plays so many marathon matches even into his 30s. Djokovic took the most important points into areas where he is most comfortable, and his opponents are not; carefully raising his game and transferring the pressure onto his opponent.
Alcaraz’s victorious, history-making run in Melbourne Park was proof that grit and determination have become just as synonymous with him as flash and exuberance. (PHOTO: AP)
Many players have tried and faltered when Djokovic takes these high-stakes occasions into these zones. Even Jannik Sinner – largely considered Alcaraz’s equal in the rising new generation, but whom the Spaniard has surpassed in stature over the last six months – could not outlast him in their semifinal on Friday.
But Alcaraz proved why his tremendous big-match temperament, to go with his newfound composure under pressure and clinicalness when required, has put him in a league of his own in men’s tennis at the moment.
On Sunday, in one of the most significant moments of his career, he took none of the bait. Staring down his all-time great opponent with laser-eyed focus and strategic heft, the 22-year-old blunted Djokovic this time around. He came up with his most reliable serving and did not let his level fall in the high-pressure environment of the crucial fourth set to lift his seventh Major title.
That does not just see him complete the Grand Slam – winning each of the four Major titles at least once – but also surpass the haul of Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker and match the total of John McEnroe and Mats Wilander. His appetite for the big stage at the age of 22 is unparalleled. Even Rafael Nadal – in attendance to watch his countryman break his record on Sunday – and Bjorn Borg only had six Majors each by his age.
New coach, no problem
Alcaraz had drawn an unwanted amount of attention after breaking away from his childhood coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, after the end of last season. Ferrero was seen as the guiding hand behind his generational talent, often fine-tuning his strategies for these sort of occasions. The Spaniard proved he can do just fine without him on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz react after winning his first-ever Australian Open title. (PHOTO: AP)
After losing the first set he made subtle improvements to his game. The serving improved drastically but so did baseline tactics. He moved ever-so-slightly behind while returning Djokovic’s second serves to get a closer read on it, and punished them for it. He took the advice of his new coach, Samuel Lopez, to apply more spin on his groundstrokes to send the ball out of Djokovic’s strike zone. He moved his opponent wider and wider with angled shots that opened up the court nicely for him.
This was yet another step into the right direction for the Spaniard. He exchanged efficiency for extravagance just enough to do the right things often enough that it was Djokovic who crumbled on the other side of the net. How often has the Serb made more unforced errors than his opponent in a Major final?
“Nobody knows how hard I’ve been working to get this trophy. I just chased this moment so much,” Alcaraz said on court after his triumph, before praising his team. “The pre-season was a bit of a rollercoaster emotionally. We just did the right work, you were pushing me every day to do all the right things.”
He has put together a resume that is already seeing him compared to the greats of the game by the age of 22, but triumph in Melbourne will be sweeter, considering it was as gritty as it was excellent. Tennis’s favourite showman evolving into a ruthless winner is likely to make the competition shudder.
