"I'm not saying Novak Djokovic made a show" - Carlos Alcaraz makes his feelings known on Serb's MTO at Australian Open

Carlos Alcaraz suffered a heartbreak in the Quarterfinals of the ongoing Australian Open against Novak Djokovic on January 21, 2025. The Serb came back up after a slight injury scare mid-match and defeated him 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to terminate the Spaniard's AO 2025 run.

Djokovic was seen limping and struggling to move swiftly across the court while points were even at 4-4. The physio intervened immediately following his call for an MTO, right after which he exited the court for a once-over.

At the post-match press conference, Alcaraz expressed his views on his opponent's injury as he claimed that he noticed a change in Djokovic's game in the last two sets.

“I think everybody saw in the second set he's struggling a little bit to moving. I don't know if it was more running to the forehand or running to backhand, but obviously he was struggling. Then the third and fourth set, I didn't see anything bad from him. So I'm not saying, like, he made a show. I just saying that, I don't know," said Alcaraz after the match [3:45 onwards].

The Serbian tennis star too clarified during his post-match interview that he wasn't able to diagnose the reason but that he experienced a significant improvement in how he felt as the match progressed.

"It didn't bother me, it didn't create any hindrance towards the end of the match, only in the second set. Obviously, when the medications start to release, I'll see what the, the reality is, tomorrow morning. But right now, I'll just try to be in the moment and enjoy this victory," said Djokovic. [via Hindustan Times]

Alcaraz further added how his strategic misappropriation paved the way for his defeat.

"It seems like it's going to be easier"- Carlos Alcaraz on miscalculating his strategy in the Quarterfinals match

Carlos Alcaraz after losing a point against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals - Source: Getty

The up-and-coming tennis star, Carlos Alcaraz, admitted during his post-match press conference that he somewhat misread what the match had in store for him. He mentioned how he was in a fix mentally as he was struggling to address how to take advantage of Djokovic's limited movement while limiting his own mistakes.

"I mean, it's just about when you seeing someone that is struggling physically a little bit, it's kind of you're not playing the same level. It seems like, okay it's going to be easier. At the same time in your mind you're thinking like, 'Okay, I have not to make mistakes,'" said the Spaniard. [2:23 onwards]

Even though he stated that he was cautious with his game, he was still seen playing lofty shots and a slight limp causing him to lose momentum as the match continued. The 24-time Grand Slam champion capitalized on these mistakes by Carlos Alcaraz and clinched the victory against his third-seeded opponent.