Australian Open > Novak Djokovic, before facing Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals: “When the draw was made, a lot of people were looking forward to this potential match, Alcaraz against me. So here we are”

If his press conference after his victory against Jiri Lehecka in the round of 16 of the Australian Open was essentially focused on his refusal to speak on court following the controversy with an Australian journalist, Novak Djokovic still took time to speak about his next opponent, a certain Carlos Alcaraz.

And obviously, the Serbian is not expecting a fun time despite the excellent performance of their last confrontation in the final of the Paris Olympic Games last August.

“I’m expecting a big battle, as has been the case in most of our matches where we’ve faced each other. Maybe sometimes it was quite one-sided. In last year’s Wimbledon final, he was the dominant force on court. I had a very good match against him in the Masters final in 2023. Apart from that, we had long battles, long rallies, matches that I played against him. It reminds me of my confrontations against Nadal in terms of intensity and energy on court. He is a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Pleasant to watch, but not great to face (smile). I’m looking forward to it. I think when the draw was made, a lot of people were looking forward to the potential quarter-final match, Alcaraz versus me. So here we are. I think we’re both hitting the ball pretty well in this tournament. I like the way I’m playing and the way I’ve been feeling for the last two games. I’m excited about this challenge.

Published on Monday January 20, 2025 at 3:18 p.m.