Carlos Alcaraz is the 20-year-old standing between Novak Djokovic and a record 23 grand slam titles
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have avoided each other so scrupulously that there’s a Coe versus Ovett element about Friday’s French Open semifinals.
But now the match everyone has been wanting to see is finally here, and it’s not just the clash of the year so far, but one that could define this and seasons to come.
The two great middle distance runners have met only six times in their entire careers, and the same scarcity value holds true for another pair of great athletes, currently the top two tennis players in the world.
It is a curiousity that they have only met once before, and that was when a decisive tie-break gave 20-year-old Alcaraz victory last year’s Madrid Open, played a short distance from the Spanish capital.
This is largely explained by injuries the Spaniard suffered after winning the US Open, as well as the travel ban to the United States (now expired) that Djokovic was willing to undergo as a price for not being vaccinated against Covid. They have only been to the same tournament once this year, last month’s Italian Open.
Novak Djokovic is just two games away from breaking Rafael Nadal’s grand slam record in Paris
But standing in the way is world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, a rival Djokovic only faced once
The sixteen-year age gap means that this rivalry will certainly not have the longevity of that between Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
John McEnroe will be one of the greats of the game at Roland Garros to witness what will likely be the match that decides whether the 36-year-old Serb finally takes a lead over Nadal’s 22 Grand Slam titles this weekend.
âWe hope this will continue for a few more years. Novak is 36 but he looks like he’s 26 and Alcaraz is 20 and he plays like he’s been there forever,” said McEnroe, who will be commenting for the BBC this summer.
“For me, (Boris) Becker was the best player I’ve ever seen when he was 17 or 18 when he won his first two Wimbledons. This guy Alcaraz, he just turned 20 and he’s the most complete player I’ve ever seen at this age, more than the other guys.
“Of course that doesn’t mean he’s going to win as much as Novak, Rafa or Roger. Maybe even Sampras, but you’d be hard pressed to believe he’s not going to win a ton of Majors.
Djokovic goes for history. He’s trying to break the record, which is insane. It’s just drooling at this match, to see who can handle the pressure, the crowd will go crazy, as often in France. they are very emotional, i can’t wait.
‘I picked Alcaraz and gave him a small lead in this tournament beforehand, they both manage it in a different way. I hope for an epic.’
It is somewhat surprising that the bookmakers have the young Spaniard as a clear favourite, as he loves nothing more than Djokovic.
In their only meeting, Alcaraz defeated the Serbian on clay at last year’s Madrid Open
The 36-year-old drew level with Nadal after winning the 2023 Australian Grand Prix after being banned from competing in 2022
Alcaraz quickly builds up the know-how, but he can get nervous and no one knows how to find his way to the winning post like Djokovic does.
There’s little between them in technical terms, and while they’re on opposite ends of the age spectrum, part of their brilliance stems from their exceptional movement skills.
Djokovic is the elastic man, and the smiley 20-year-old from Murcia runs like a bullet with his electric pace.
Former French Open champion Mats Wilander, not usually one to exaggerate, commented with emotion: “There is hope for humanity when you see an athlete like Carlos Alcaraz.”
His trademark is the drop shot, which can give the impression that he has his opponent on a string. It more or less humiliated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round, but whether he will be able to execute it so effectively under the greatest pressure is one of many uncertainties.
Alexander Zverev (left) will play against Casper Ruud in the second semi-final on Friday, with the German seen as a bigger threat in the final
The second semi-final is served after the main course. Germany’s Alex Zverev takes on Norway’s Casper Ruud, who has recovered from a poor start to the season and is just one game away from repeating his performance in last year’s final when Nadal crushed him.
If Zverev comes through, he may have a better chance of being upset, in Sunday’s final, whoever wins Friday’s colossal duel.
FOUR KEY AREAS OF BATTLE
The return of Djokovic
The Serb’s eye and agility make him an all-time great in the return, but Alcaraz has been flawless on this event so far. His percentage of points won on the second serve, 62, is the best in the tournament and he wins nine out of ten service games. Both stats will be heavily tested by a master of return.
Alcaraz’s drop shot
The Spaniard has been so effective in this seductive department that it’s leading to an increase in the shot generally played on the men’s tour. It has the effect of holding an opponent back from playing as deep as they’d like, and sprinting in to force them is both undermining and demoralizing.
Alcaraz will be wary of the formidable return of Djokovic, who has mastered all surfaces during his storied career
The 20-year-old is fresh off winning this year’s edition of the Madrid Open in early May
The Djokovic mentality
His specialty is scoring the big runs and returning the ball deep with monotonous efficiency to test an opponent’s nerve under the greatest pressure. A ridiculous statistic at this tournament is that he’s won all five tiebreaks he’s played, without giving away a single unforced foul in any of them.
The Alcaraz forehand
This is something of a monster, and on the clay court he has more time to run around his backhand and hit it. Even with heavy balls, he has the strength to punch through the field, and against Karen Khachanov in the previous round, Djokovic was briefly bothered by the Russian’s heavy artillery from that side.
Carlos Alcaraz will play live against Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the French Open Eurosportfrom 1:45 p.m. on Friday, June 9