Novak Djokovic has beaten Carlos Alcaraz, 6-3, 6-2, in a clash between the Top 2 players in the world in the semifinals of the ATP Finals. The No. 1 ranked Djokovic is now one win away from a record-breaking eighth ATP Finals championship, which he will confront on Sunday against Jannik Sinner.
“Best match of the tournament for me without a doubt,” Djokovic said. “It came at the right time, really, after spending a lot of hours on the court in the first three matches. I didn’t know how I’m going to feel. “But tonight from the very beginning I felt the ball well. I was approaching the match with the right attitude, right mentality.”
“I approached the match with the right attitude, the right mentality, and I knew from the very first point it was going to be greatly intense. Furthermore, he had break points right away, 15/40 in the first game. That’s Carlos. He always brings out his best in these kinds of matches and starts with a lot of high quality tennis and intensity. You’ve got to match that, try to weather the storm, and I did that.”
The opening half hour of the contest saw nothing between the two players as they swapped holds through the first seven games, but that’s when Djokovic pounced, claiming five of the next six games—including the first two breaks of the tournament—to move up a set and a break, 6-3, 3-1.
Alcaraz held to cut the deficit to 3-2 and even brought up double break point with Djokovic serving at 15-40 in the following game, but the six-time ATP Finals champion pulled out the hold for 4-2, broke for 5-2, and then served it out, closing with a spectacular overhead smash.
Djokovic was at his best throughout the 88-minute match in Turin, earning his third win in four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings with Alcaraz this year.
Alcaraz had the higher figures in the match, with 22 winners to 22 unforced mistakes, but Djokovic concluded with 11 winners to only eight—yes, only eight—unforced errors. Djokovic saved all four break points he faced. He converted three of his eight break-point opportunities. Also read: Novak Djokovic Net Worth 2023, Prize Money, Endorsements, Cars, Houses, Properties, Charities Etc.
“I knew that from the very first point it’s going to be high intensity,” Djokovic said. “He had break points right away, 15-40 in the first game—that’s Carlos, he always brings out his best in these kinds of matches, and starts with a lot of high quality tennis, a lot of intensity.
“So you’ve got to match that, try to kind of weather the storm, and I did that, served well in important moments, and I think the match shifted or turned around when it was 4-3, I think, when I made a break with new balls. He missed a couple of backhands and gave me the break, and from that moment onwards I really played flawless tennis.”
Djokovic became the first player since 2015 to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams and the ATP Finals in the same year, having already won the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and the US Open this year, as well as reaching the final of Wimbledon, where he lost to Alcaraz. Also read: Jannik Sinner Net Worth 2023, Prize Money, Endorsements, Cars, Houses, Properties, Charities Etc.