Australian Open Djokovic in the final to face Alcaraz
Australian Open — Novak Djokovic recognized Margaret Court in the crowd and thanked her for staying up so late to watch him get within a single victory of becoming the most decorated tennis player of all time.
The 83-year-old Court was among the VIPs at Rod Laver Arena for Djokovic’s epic five-set win over two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner in a grueling semifinal that ended after 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
Djokovic’s energy-sapping win over Sinner set up a championship decider against top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old Spaniard bidding to become the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam.
Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to block Djokovic’s push for a 25th major title, splitting the last eight majors evenly between them.
Djokovic owns just about every record there is available to him, surpassing the marks set down by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He has one more than Serena Williams, who holds the women’s Open era record at 23.
The 38-year-old Djokovic said he was sore and tired and likely wouldn’t do much practice Saturday, prioritizing recovery.
Alcaraz also said he’ll be focussing on recovery after struggling with cramps and a sore right leg in a five-set, 5-hour and 27-minute win over Alexander Zverev. It was the longest semifinal ever at the Australian Open.
