Novak Djokovic v Carlos Alcaraz: Their previous 9 matches ahead of Australian Open encounter
With some viewers complaining that the 2026 Australian Open lacked dramatic five-set classics, Novak Djokovic and Alcaraz made sure to silence the critics in their respective semi-final matches.
The Spaniard fought through full-body cramps to defeat world No 3 Alexander Zverev 7-5 in the fifth set in the longest match of the tournament.
Meanwhile, just a few hours later, Djokovic continued to defy age by upsetting the two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in a four-hour thriller.
In Melbourne’s showpiece match, there is much history on the line for both men.
For the Spaniard, a victory would place him as the youngest male singles player ever to win all four Grand Slams.
For the Serb, a 25th Grand Slam would break his current tie with Margaret Court and make him the only singles player – man or woman – to have reached the feat.
Currently, their head-to-head sits at 5-4 in Djokovic’s favour.
Below, we take a look back at each official encounter between the finalists.
2022 Madrid Open SF: Alcaraz 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5)
Their first clash was a sign of things to come, ending in a third-set tiebreak and being ranked as the ATP Tour’s best match of 2023 – extending to three hours and 36 minutes.
Alcaraz became the first – and only – player to beat Rafael Nadal and Djokovic in the same clay-court tournament.
24 hours later, he would defeat Zverev to clinch the title at 19 years old.
2023 Roland Garros SF: Djokovic 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1
One year later, Djokovic and Alcaraz – who was now the world No 1 and a Grand Slam champion – met again, this time at Grand Slam level.
The pair traded the first two sets, before the Spaniard suffered from major cramps in the third game of the third set.
From there, Djokovic was simply ruthless, dropping just one additional game to move into a seventh French Open final.
2023 Wimbledon Final: Alcaraz 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Heading into their first grass-court meeting, Djokovic was on a 34-match winning streak at SW19, having also not lost a match on Centre Court since losing to Andy Murray 10 years prior.
The first set saw Alcaraz looking out of his comfort zone, claiming just one game, before the Serb handing over unforced errors on two set points in a crucial second-set tiebreak – with the Spaniard claiming it with a sensational backhand return winner.
Alcaraz continued the momentum to take the third and looked firmly in control, however, in typical fashion, Djokovic dug deep and used his grass-court experience to send the clash to a decider.
The Spaniard broke in the third game of the fifth, ultimately serving it out to claim his first Wimbledon title.
2023 Cincinnati Open Final: Djokovic 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4)
A few weeks later, the pair would contest the longest Masters 1000 final in history, with a three-hour-and-49-minute clash.
Alcaraz recovered from an early break to take the opener against an ailing Djokovic, before the roles were reversed in the second, with the latter saving a championship point via an impressive reaction volley before sending the match to a third set.
The decider would be a microcosm of the two sets that had preceded it, as it was Djokovic would get off to a quicker start, but failed to serve out the match after having a championship point of his own.
Djokovic would be the more stable player in the tiebreak, with a forehand return from the Spaniard going long as the champion fell to his back in exhaustion – and relief.
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2023 Nitto ATP Finals SF: Djokovic 6-3, 6-2
After four matches in which both players won at least one set, their meeting in Turin would be a vastly different story.
Djokovic, the defending champion, displayed his vast indoor experience to simply suffocate Alcaraz’s more spin-focused game, reaching what was his ninth final at the event.
2024 Wimbledon Final: Alcaraz 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4)
In a rematch of their final 12 months prior, Alcaraz and Djokovic reached the final in starkly different forms.
The Serb had suffered a meniscus tear during his French Open campaign a few weeks prior, having to undergo surgery.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard was coming off a maiden French Open title and looked like the man to beat at SW19, despite having been stunned by Jack Draper in Queen’s a week preceding the tournament.
Ultimately, unlike their 2023 encounter, the compromised Djokovic was no match for Alcaraz, who claimed his fourth Grand Slam after a return from his opponent was sent into the net.
2024 Olympic Final: Djokovic 7-6(3), 7-6(2)
Less than a month after the Wimbledon meeting, Djokovic produced one of the best showpiece match performances in his career to claim the singles gold medal in Paris.
Neither player was broken in the final, with Alcaraz unable to match the consistent barrage of groundstroke aggression that was coming from the Serb’s racket.
2024 Australian Open QF: Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
The beginning of the 2025 season observed an eighth encounter between Djokovic and Alcaraz, one which contained much drama.
Djokovic, who failed to win a Grand Slam in the season prior, led by an early break, before sustaining a hamstring injury, which aided an Alcaraz comeback to claim the first set.
From there, the Serb never looked second best to claim an unlikely victory at 37 years old.
2025 US Open QF: Alcaraz 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2
Their most recent meeting saw the pair have their first meeting at the New York event.
It was Alcaraz who got off to a quicker start by breaking in the second game of the match, before continuing to hold serve until its conclusion.
In the subsequent set, the tables were turned and the Serb raced to a 3-0 lead before being broken back and losing a tight tiebreak after having possessed a minibreak lead.
The third chapter saw Alcaraz’s superior physical state triumph over the 24-time Grand Slam champion, with Djokovic seemingly resigned to his fate.
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