ATP Finals 2023: How Master Djokovic Extinguished Pupil Alcaraz in the ATP Finals Semifinal

There are matches that define a season, and this one is among them. Novak Djokovic once again reminded Alcaraz why he was the master of the game at that moment.

From the very first exchanges, it was clear the Serb was not here to joke around. With impressive solidity, the world number 1 imposed his rhythm with surgical precision.

Facing him, Carlos Alcaraz, 20 years old, alternated between the incredible and the incomprehensible. Capable of stringing together a supersonic forehand followed by an improbable error. Djokovic, however, did not yield: a wall. Result: 6-3, 6-2 in 1 hour and 29 minutes.

Consequently, the Serb, who had lost at Wimbledon (1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4) against the prodigy from El Palmar, reversed the trend during the second half of the season (also winning in Cincinnati) and thus leads their head-to-head 3-2.

"Against Novak, you have to play your best tennis on every single ball. Otherwise, he devours you," Alcaraz would confide after the match. For his part, Djokovic stated this: "It's always special to play against Carlos. He pushes you to find solutions you didn't even suspect you had."

Thanks to this victory, Djokovic reached the Masters final once again. What followed? A victory against another talent of the new generation: 6-3, 6-3 against Jannik Sinner.