New Delhi: There will be no favourites when Novak Djokovic goes up against Carlos Alcaraz in a clash of titans in a blockbuster quarter-final at the Australian Open 2025 on Tuesday, January 21. The Rafael Nadal era is over but for Djokovic, it will be an opportunity to bring in the same intensity that won him some of his best-ever battles against the Spanish legend when he locks horns with Rafa Regen in Alcaraz.
There are no uncanny similarities but Alcaraz has already taken over the mantle from Nadal, who quit tennis in November last year, and has proved he can be the next big thing in world tennis. All of 21, Alcaraz has already stunned Djokovic in two major finals on his way to lifting a total of five Grand Slam titles in what has been a stellar career so far.
But there will be no beating around the bush for the Spaniard when he takes on Djokovic in his den at the Melbourne Park. Djokovic, a ten-time champion has ruled in the tournament over the last decade and has brought down some of the greats of the game at Melbourne Park to create an unparalleled legacy that might stay on for years to come.
Rarely have we seen a Djokovic-Alcaraz kind of match-up in a Grand Slam quarter-final but we have a blockbuster clash on the cards on Tuesday as two of the best in the world lock horns against each other. Djokovic’s underwhelming 2024 saw him slip in the rankings which ensured an early meeting with Alcaraz in the first major of the year.
A quarter-final might not induce the same intensity as a final but the stakes are high with a place in the semi-final and eventually in the all-important final on the line. The last few meetings between the duo arguably have some of the highest recall value and expect it to be no different at Melbourne Park in Tuesday’s quarter-final.
Why there are no favourites in Djokovic vs Alcaraz quarter-final?
Melbourne has been Novak Djokovic’s happy hunting ground and rarely does a player enter an Australian Open match against the Serbian ace as favourite. Djokovic has been the undisputed king at the Australian Open over the last decade or so, winning a record 10 titles in 10 finals. The Serb has never been beaten once he reaches the semi-final stage at the Australian Open with a stunning 20-0 record in semis and finals.
Djokovic boasts of an incredible 94-9 record in the Australian Open in his career so far. Out of the nine losses he has suffered in the tournament, three were during his first three years on tour following which he has been a dominant force in the tournament with a 91-6 record. He is the most successful male player in the history of the Australian Open and there are all reasons to believe he can trounce Alcaraz on his way to adding a record-extending 11th title to his illustrious cabinet this year.
The head-to-head record between the duo also stands in Djokovic’s favour with the Serb leading 4-3 in seven meetings. Though he has won only one of three matches between them in Grand Slams, Djokovic has never lost against Alcaraz on hard courts, heavily turning the odds in his favour in the Australian Open quarter-final.
But there is little that suggests Alcaraz cannot stop Djokovic’s rampage at the Australian Open this year. The Melbourne Park might have been the Serb’s den but with age and supreme fitness on his side, Alcaraz will be hoping to rewrite history Down Under. Alcaraz has already shown he can overcome Djokovic’s tenacity even on the big stages and will be hopeful of producing another mighty display on Tuesday.
In the last two meetings between the duo in a Grand Slam final, Alcaraz has come out on top. The 21-year-old might not have experience on his side but will be fancying his chances against the 37-year-old, who hasn’t looked quite on top of his game in the tournament yet and has instead taken his time to steadily get into the groove.
Nonetheless, it’s almost impossible to pick a favourite and write off the other in this clash of titans at the Australian Open which promises to be another cracker of a contest between possibly two of the best in the world at present.
You can catch the blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final between Djokovic and Alcaraz on the Sony Sports Network in India and live stream the match on the Sony Liv app and the website.
24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will take on Carlos Alcaraz in a hotly-anticipated quarter-final clash at the Australian Open 2025 on Tuesday. There will be no favourites in the clash of titans at the Melbourne Park. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
