Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz, Tennis Australian Open 2025: Djokovic beats Alcaraz

Absolute class from the former World No 1 after winning a tiring game. 

"This should have been the final," he adds as a lament at the end.  

Absolute respect from Djokovic as the defeated Carlos Alcaraz passes by after the quarter-final.

'I'm surprised my kids are still around,' says Djokovic as he is interviewed by Jim Courier after his win. 'It's 1 am! When are you going to sleep tonight! they don't want me to talk about them!'

Novak and Jelena's two children --- Stefan and Tara --- sheepishly smile back from the player's box. 

The Serbian lets out a roar after defeating the young challenger from Spain. 

Djokovic beats Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Novak and Jelena's two children --- Stefan and Tara --- are pumped too just as their father is on the court! 

Andy Murray, who is in the corner of Djokovic, is the only one not jumping out of his seat. Not yet, at least. 

A 33-shot rally there ends with Alcaraz winning the point. Djokovic was battling to break Alcaraz and take a 5-2 lead in the fourth set. Djokovic needed just two games to secure a semis spot.

Lots of outpouring of emotion after that long rally there from both players, who look exhausted. Alcaraz leans over a stool for support at the end of the point while Djoko is angry at someone in the crowd! 

Pure drama here! 

Alcaraz smiles even as he's hunched over the stool. 

On the next point he saves serve to take the fourth set score at 3-4. And as he walks off, he shows a fist at the fans.  

Novak Djokovic is now the overwhelming favourite to win this quarter-final after winning the third set. The official prediction stats from the Aus Open site claim the Serb has a 87 percent chance of winning now.

Novak Djokovic has one foot in the semi-final of the Australian Open after clinching the third set 6-3. And boy, is he pumped! 

He points to the crowd, then points at his ears, and is looking flush in the face after that third set. 

What a fighter! 

Djokovic controls this match by a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 scoreline! 

Djokovic still hanging on to the lead in the third set after holding serve. Djokovic 4-3 in the third set!   

Both players have been broken four times this evening. To put that into context, Alcaraz was broken just three times in the first four rounds while Djokovic was broken five times in four games at the ongoing Australian Open before today's clash. 

The chair umpire is displeased by the fans shouting in the middle of the points and has a stern warning that rings out in the middle of the game. 

At the break between the two games, Djokovic is seen complaining to the umpire about the incessant cheering. 

Djokovic holds serve and he now leads 3-2 in set three. 

He's had his niggles in the first set, but has managed to show the younger challenger that he still remains a formidable force to be reckoned with. 

The Serbian fans are firmly behind him. 

The Serbian is back into the match after claiming the second set 6-4. What imperious tennis from him. He wins the final point in a blaze of forehand slap shots and dogged defending when needed. 

Incredible! 

WHAT TENNIS! 

Alcaraz is testing Novak Djokovic's injured foot here. He seasl the third game in the second set with a delightful drop shot that the Serb can only stare at from the baseline. 

From falling 0-3 down in the second set, Alcaraz is now 3-3.

And he's already won the first game 6-4. 

Things heating up on the court as the Spaniard argues briefly with the chair umpire. This happened after Djokovic served and then stopped even as Alcaraz returned the shot. 

The chair umpire, a little slowly --- and seemingly after spotting Djokovic stop --- called let. This fires up Alcaraz who is keen to emphasise that she was making the call after Djokovic has stopped playing. 

Djokovic holds and it's now 3-0 in the second set for the Serbian. What a reaction to losing the first set from the Serbian. 

Just a few minutes the momentum was against Novak Djokovic. He lost three straight games and the firts set. He needed a medical time out and was moving gingerly.

And then, he starts off with a 2-0 lead in the second set, breaking Alcaraz's serve with ease! 

Djokovic leads 2-0 in Set 2

What dominance from Carlos Alcaraz. Right after Djokovic came back from the medical time out, he's been sent back to the seat again in the blink of an eye as Djokovic serves his way to the firts set! 

Alcaraz wins first set 6-4.

Novak Djokovic takes a medical timeout after being broken in the first set which sees him trail 4-5 to Alcaraz. 

Just minutes ago, Djoko was leading 3-4, now he's down 5-4. And getting medical treatment for an apparent groin injury.

Djokovic 4-5 Alcaraz in the first set  

The Serbian has surged to a 4-3 lead in the first.

Alcaraz has shown some great shot-making so far, especially on the forehand side. 

Djokovic manages to keep himself a foot ahead time and again in this clash. 

Djokovic 4-3 Alcaraz in the first set

WHAT A RESPONSE TO BEING BROKEN! 

Djokovic broke his serve to lead 2-0. Now Carlos Alcaraz has responded with a break of his own! The final point came after a epic baseline slugfest between the two, where Alcaraz ends it with a down the line sizzler 

Djokovic 2-1 Alcaraz in the first set

WHAT A VOLLEY! 

Alcaraz was down 0-30 on his own serve, before he slugs it out with Djokovic on a point. Then, with Djokovic still on the baseline, the Spaniard plays the most delicate one-handed drop shot that Djokovic chases after but cannot reach. 

That shot even got Novak applauding. 

But the Serb has the final laugh as he breaks Alcaraz.

 Djokovic 2-0 Alcaraz in the first set

Novak Djokovic takes a 1-0 lead in the first set after some stellar serving. 

He was 40-0 up in the blink of an eye when he miscued a backhand which gave his opponent a chance to make a comeback into that game. 

But eventually, Novak does manage to hold.

Djokovic 1-0 Alcaraz in the first set

We're minutes away from the big game. Both players have hit the court and are warming up. 

The win predictor for this game gives Djoko a 56 percent chanc of winning. Djokovic will serve first. 

"Now you can enjoy the battle between Novak and Alcaraz," smiles Sabalenka after she finally prevails.

Aryna Sabalenka beats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 to book a semis spot against Paula Badosa.

As we await for the intense women's singles quarter-final between Aryna Sabalenka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to present us a winner, the broadcast cuts away to a shot of Carlos Alcaraz in the back of the stadium just keeping himself ready to go out on the court.

His team is with him and we see him grooving to music on his headphones. 

Aryna Sabalenka and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are now battling in the third set of their battle. Sabalenka had claimed the first set 6-2 but then Pavlyuchenkova surged back levelling with a 6-2 scoreline. Sabalenka is currently ahead in the third set.  

How they stack up

Novak Djokovic                               Carlos Alcaraz

7                                Rank                          3
37                                Age                          21
170lbs (77kg)           Weight                 163lbs (74kg) 
6'2" (188cm)             Height                  6'0" (183cm)
Right-Handed          Plays                   Right-Handed
Two-Handed          Backhand                Two-Handed
2003                    Turned Pro                   2018

Djookovic and Alcaraz have faced each other seven times so far. Here's how it has panned out. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the quarter-final between Australian Open 2025 Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz.