Novak Djokovic's win against Carlos Alcaraz at Australian Open 2025 outperforms cricket and famous reality show viewership

Novak Djokovic's quarterfinal victory over his third-seeded archrival Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 Australian Open on Tuesday (January 21) achieved impressive viewership numbers if a report from British tennis insider James Gray is anything to go by. According to Gray, more local fans watched the last-eight clash between the Serb and the Spaniard than a marquee match of the Big Bash League — Australia's domestic Twenty20 men's cricket league — and the famous reality show 'I'm A Celebrity...'.

The 24-time Major winner came into his eighth-career encounter against Alcaraz, who beat him in the title match of Wimbledon last year, with a chip on his shoulder. This fortnight, the 37-year-old is looking to not only secure his 11th Australian Open title but also take home a record-breaking 25th Major trophy.

Novak Djokovic had a lot at stake going against the in-form Carlos Alcaraz, and he didn't disappoint even if the match didn't start in the fashion that he would've liked. The seventh seed dropped the opening set 4-6 while facing issues in his right knee that had required arthroscopic surgery last year.

However, Djokovic wouldn't be deterred in his journey of completing tennis as he eventually came through 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in three hours and 35 minutes to reach the semifinals in Melbourne for the 13th time in his career. According to a report by James Gray, a British journalist, on X (formerly Twitter) the blockbuster clash between the two rivals was watched by an audience of 2.7 million countrywide.

Interestingly, the viewership numbers put up by the above match were far superior to the 2025 Big Bash League play-offs between the Hobart Hurricanes and the Sydney Sixers and this week's installment of 'I'm A Celebrity...', an Australian adventure-based reality show.

"Total national reach TV audience of 2.7 million for Djokovic vs Alcaraz in Australia last night," James Gray wrote on X on Tuesday. "Thrashed the news, the cricket, Home and Away AND I'm A Celebrity."

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Novak Djokovic to take on familiar foe Alexander Zverev for a place in the Australian Open 2025 final

Djokovic and Zverev embrace after their 2021 US Open SFs encounter (Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are all set to renew their rivalry at the 2025 Australian Open. Zverev, seeded second in Melbourne this year, has had a relatively easier path to the last four than his older opponent. That said, the 27-year-old will have to be on top of his powers to reach his third Major final.

The 37-year-old comes into this match-up as the favourite going by his positive head-to-head record of 8-4 against Zverev. He has won six of their last eight encounters, including victories against the German at the 2019 French Open, the 2021 Australian Open and the 2021 US Open.