Alcaraz secures his immortality by conquering the last Grand Slam he was missing

BarcelonaCarlos Alcaraz's name is now etched on the four most coveted trophies in world tennis. At 22, the Murcian has won the Australian Open for the first time, becoming the youngest player to lift all four cups. Only Melbourne was missing from his collection, a tournament in which he had never reached the final. But Alcaraz seems poised to surpass the achievements of Rafa Nadal or his opponent in the final, Novak Djokovic, who at 38 years old thrilled everyone with his competitive spirit. But his era has ended, and he succumbed in four sets (2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5).

After two seasons of undisputed dominance by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open final seemed like a match written by a screenwriter. A specialist tasked with the final episode of a hit series, with the challenge of captivating the audience. Tennis deserved a match like this, a fitting symbol of the changing of the guard. A match that, for a few hours, united two golden eras: one ending and one already beginning. A final to pay homage to the last of the three musketeers still competing, Novak Djokovic.

A perfect script, allowing the 38-year-old Belgrade native to return to a Grand Slam final two years after his last title, in 2013 in New York. And it was special that it was in Melbourne, one of Djokovic's favorite venues, a ten-time champion in Australia, the first back in 2008 when Alcaraz was five years old. A venue where he always plays surrounded by many Serbians who emigrated down under And where he had also experienced one of the lowest moments of his career, when he tried to circumvent the COVID-19 protocols. Djokovic was seeking his 25th Grand Slam title, after a tournament where he had struggled against Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals, a match where he seemed destined for elimination when the Italian was injured while leading 2-0 in sets. But where Janion Sinner had also demonstrated his astonishing competitive spirit in Melbourne. He eliminated one of the two young players currently dominating the circuit, but Alcaraz seems stronger than Sinner today. After a year with a change of coach, The man from Murcia arrived in Melbourne proud, ready to prove he was right to part ways with Juan Carlos Ferrero. At 22, he had never reached the Australian Open final, the only Grand Slam that had eluded him. After his semifinal match against Zverev, which he won in five sets despite suffering from vomiting, his physical condition was a mystery. And initially, he seemed a bit slow. He didn't look comfortable, unlike Djokovic, who, while having lost some physical strength, knows every corner of the court like the back of his hand. The Serb had made his debut in Melbourne in 2003, when Alcaraz was two years old. And that experience allowed him to win the first set decisively, 6-2, with hardly any errors, in just 33 minutes. IdemoHe was shouting. The Serbian version of Come on which Alcaraz would answer in the second set.

Nothing pleases Alcaraz more than being under pressure. Like Rafa Nadal watching from the stands, he seems to rediscover hidden energy when his opponent overtakes him. He seems offended by having someone on the other side of the court challenging him. In the second set, Alcaraz began to connect with spectacular winners. He was taking more risks than Djokovic. And the second set fell to him quickly, 6-2, signaling trouble for the Serb. The Belgrade player had to survive the Murcian's onslaught, who sought the crowd's complicity with his fist pumping. It was a beautiful generational duel. Djokovic, cool and calculating, tried to think rationally with the maturity of his 38 years. Alcaraz wanted to unleash everything with the energy of a 22-year-old. That's why he hit more winners, but also more unforced errors.

The wind was already blowing in Alcaraz's favor, although he was furious when the roof of Rod Laver Arena was closed at the end of the second set, something he clearly disliked. On the court, as in life, Djokovic couldn't stop time. He couldn't travel back to the past, to when he was the provocative champion. It's time to step aside and watch someone else take your place, a law that always holds true. The Serb began to make some errors, including double faults, making Alcaraz's job easier. Alcaraz would take the third set 6-3, although Djokovic saved five out of seven points, defending desperately as best he could. It seemed that Alcaraz's path was now wide open.

Other players might have given up, but not Djokovic. The Serb clung to the match with all his might, prolonging the fourth set as much as possible, stretching, extending his serve time, and squandering a break point on the Spaniard's serve at 4-4. But Alcaraz didn't flinch, sealing the final after a thrilling set (7-5) and shattering Djokovic's dream of becoming the first player, male or female, to win 25 Grand Slam titles. The Serb had never lost a final in Melbourne before. After 10 wins, this was his eleventh. He did so against an Alcaraz who has already won seven Grand Slam titles at just 22 years old. Only Jannik Sinner seems capable of stopping his explosive game in the future. In Melbourne, Djokovic was able to say goodbye by winning a set and putting up a fight, before yielding the title to the new champion. When his final shot went out, he elegantly crossed the court to congratulate the man from Murcia. The glory belongs to Alcaraz.