So exhausted was Novak Djokovic after his astonishing Australian Open semi-final victory in the early hours of Saturday that he could not make the three-minute walk to the media centre. Instead journalists were summoned down to the bowels of Melbourne Park to attend a makeshift post-match press conference close to the locker room.
How on earth does this 38-year-old veteran possibly recover in time for Sunday’s final against Carlos Alcaraz, an opponent 16 years his junior? Djokovic defied belief to battle back from two sets to one down against Jannik Sinner, 24, in four hours and nine minutes, but it is a far greater challenge to now somehow pick himself back up for a long-awaited shot at a record 25th grand-slam singles title.
The first step was some sleep, although it would not have been until 5am that Djokovic’s head hit the pillow. Sensibly he stayed away from the practice courts on Saturday, preferring to receive several treatments from his long-time physio, Miljan Amanovic.
“I am just going to use every hour I possibly can to recover, and hopefully get out on the finals day feeling somewhat refreshed,” Djokovic said.
After a marathon five-set match on Friday, it would come as no surprise if Djokovic were feeling a little stiff
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He can perhaps take some mental inspiration from the incredible recovery he made to win the 2012 Australian Open. After defeating Andy Murray in a semi-final lasting four hours and 50 minutes, he returned two days later to overcome Rafael Nadal in five hours and 53 minutes. This was an achievement that left Murray flabbergasted, as he was still hobbling around when Djokovic was going toe-to-toe with Nadal in the final.
There is little, though, that can be taken from this in a physical sense. Djokovic was 24 years old back then, with a body that did not creak as much as it does in this twilight phase of his extraordinary career. He was also not long out of one of his best seasons in 2011, during which he won a total of ten titles, including three grand slams.
There are four main factors which Djokovic will draw upon in his attempt to get the better of Alcaraz. First, there is no active male player with more experience of the sport’s biggest tournaments. He is a master at handling the peaks and troughs of a grand-slam fortnight, knowing exactly how best to pace both his body and mind. This is evident in the fact in he has only lost one of his past 13 five-set matches stretching back to 2019.
After his own five-set ordeal, Alcaraz will also be feeling the physical effects of the grand-slam fortnight
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Second, Djokovic is well aware that Alcaraz has his own physical issues after defeating Alexander Zverev in five hours and 27 minutes on Friday. The 22-year-old Spaniard suffered cramps during the gruelling contest and also received treatment on his adductor muscle, in the thigh.
“Hopefully it’s going to be nothing at all,” Alcaraz said. “But after a 5½-hour match and that high level physically, I think the muscles are going to be tight. I have just got to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final.”
Third, the head-to-head record is in Djokovic’s favour at 5-4, with two key victories to take confidence from. The 2024 Paris Olympics final had a similar dynamic in that Djokovic had the chance to win an elusive gold medal, and he produced one of his finest performances to win in straight sets. Six months later, in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, he beat Alcaraz again in the Rod Laver Arena, the same stadium in which Sunday’s final will be played.
Fourth, there is the pressure that Alcaraz is under as he bids to become the youngest man in history to claim the career grand slam. Djokovic knows himself how difficult it is to get over the line for this special achievement, having lost his first three attempts in the French Open final before eventually completing the set in 2016.
Djokovic most recently won the Australian Open in 2023, his first of three slams that year. Should he win on Sunday, it will be his 11th title in Melbourne
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“History is on the line for both of us every time we play,” Djokovic said. “For Carlos, because of his age and everything that he was able to achieve so far. In the final of a grand slam, there’s a lot at stake, but it’s no different from any other big match that I play.
“My preparation is as it should be, and I won against him last year here in a gruelling match. Let’s see how fresh are we both able to be. He also had a big match, but he has 16 years on me. Biologically I think it’s going to be a bit easier for him to recover.”
It is an underrated achievement that Djokovic reached the semi-finals of all four grand slams in 2025. Because of his stacked CV, the Serb understandably felt a little underwhelmed by it, but winning a total of 20 best-of-five-set matches against younger opposition showed how he is able to peak for the majors.
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Djokovic, though, still refused to take satisfaction from this and identified during his pre-season preparations that he needed to specifically prepare both mentally and technically for matches against Sinner and Alcaraz in the latter stages. Having conquered Sinner on Friday, it would be Djokovic’s crowning moment on Sunday if he were to do the same against Alcaraz for grand slam No25, to surpass Margaret Court’s all-time record.
“When I started my preparation for the new season and set the goals, it’s no secret that grand slams are where I want to play my best tennis,” Djokovic said. “But I guess it becomes more difficult for me to motivate myself and ask myself questions like, ‘OK, what is it that I’m looking for from myself?’
“I was imagining really playing against Jannik and Carlos at the final stages of grand slams this year and battling it out and really giving it all that I have. I look forward to it.”