WATCH: Courageous Carlos Alcaraz’s victory at the 2022 Madrid Open
Check out his blast from the past, with the 2022 Madrid Open semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. A match for the ages that earned Alcaraz his fans’ support for him.
Alcaraz certainly burst onto the stage, becoming a fan favourite, after his incredible win over world No. 1 Djokovic. The rising star played some brilliant tennis and showed off his maturity by grabbing the win from the Serbian.
Alcaraz won the first game in style by showing off his courage by producing a well-placed backhanded shot. You can see just how much that meant to him as he pumps his fist toward the crowd.
Djokovic would not concede his spot in the final so easily, as he also produced some incredible shots to keep his opponent at bay. The pair squared off in their sixth game, returning some difficult shots, only for the point to be won by Djokovic after a devoted effort.
The court was certainly getting heated as both stars celebrated their points with massive cries that are usually only seen in a final.
Alcaraz showed his hunger to win, with some impressive shots, like the one seen at two minutes and 28 seconds into the video. The point looked to be going in Djokovic’s favour, only for Alcaraz to grab it with a devoted effort.
The pair certainly put on quite the show, with some outstanding efforts to catch each other out. The match was terrific to watch, as we saw both stars pulling out all the stops to try and secure a spot in the final.
The stars seemed matched almost down to the tee, with only a few shots that could separate the athletes.
“I don’t know what the difference [between us] was,” Alcaraz said. “It was so close. He had the chances to break my serve at the end of the second set. In the first set as well it was so close in the tie-break. Honestly I don’t know what made the difference.”
Djokovic on Alcaraz: “Congrats to him. He held his nerve very well,” the Serbian said. “For somebody of his age to play so maturely and courageously is impressive. He deserved to win.
“His kick in altitude here is huge, and it was just difficult to deal with his ball, and I wasn’t feeling my return from that side. He was serving a lot of kick just to put himself in a good position.”
Their battle seemed like it could go on forever, with both stars putting up immaculate efforts that left the viewers in awe. Unfortunately for the Serbian, Alcaraz managed to secure a narrow 7-6, 5-7, 6-7 victory over the world No. 1.
Alcaraz confidently ended the match with a powerful strike, almost as powerful as the roars released from his supporters, with the commentator ending it off by saying, “A special talent wins a special match here in Madrid.”
Alcaraz then went on to destroy Alexander Zverev in the final by confidently winning the match and his first Madrid Open with a score of 6-3,6-1.
READ MORE: A rivalry on the horizon between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
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