Lean, mean and hungry Novak Djokovic devours Carlos Alcaraz
The Serbian will play Casper Ruud on Sunday for a record 23rd Major title at Roland Garros.
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L- Novak Djokovic R- Djokovic meets Carlos Alcaraz after game end (Image Credits: Corinne Dubreuil / FFT/ Twitter)
There is a ruthless streak about what Novak Djokovic does on the tennis court. On Friday evening in Paris, the Serbian underdog showed a gargantuan appetite for a fight as he dumped Carlos Alcaraz out of the French Open in the semi-finals. There was hype, there was hope and there was hoopla, that Alcaraz would be the new King on Clay. After the semi-retirement of sorts for Rafael Nadal, tennis fans have been thinking about a new king ascending the throne. Not only did Alcaraz struggle to find his footing, he ended up with muscle cramps and lost in four sets to Djokovic.
Officially, one may be tempted to say that Alcaraz lost because of a few twists and turns, some literally, and then cramping. Pray, Paris is not Melbourne, where the dry heat is killing during the Australian Open in January. Paris is chic, Paris is cool. It’s the fashion capital of the world where perfumes and wardrobes are big business. Well, Alcaraz did not come out smelling like fresh summer roses, unable to compete against the Serbian beast.
Many questions have lingered over Novak Djokovic and his fitness in 2023. When he won the Australian Open with a hamstring deep tear, it was simply sensational. How he did it was a reflection of his beast and best mode. In Paris, during this long fortnight on the brick red clay, Novak has not been showered with love and affection by fans. The crowds and fans have been unkind to him for no rhyme or reason. Heck, it hardly matters to Novak, who despite not being a 100 percent fit, still shows how to manage his body and game.
In sports, as in life, being fully fit is never a 100 percent, unless you happen to be a fighter pilot who undergoes stringent medical, physical, and psychological tests repeatedly. There was a patch noticed on Novak’s chest earlier this week. It certainly was no luck charm locket. It was some kind of medical contraption, allowed well within medical rules. Talk of battling pain and the discomfort barrier. Novak sets lofty standards. He defines mind over matter, even though the injury breaks he takes these days in a match are a bit surprising, nay unusual.
By his own admission, Novak has said he feels a bit odd, a bit tired, and slightly losing motivation. He has hinted at not continuing forever, which is a bit odd. The more he says such things, the more the intrigue. Eventually, when he gets into match mode, he transforms into a beast and breaches barriers.
Imagine, in his wrong side of mid 30s, when he realizes the importance of being on the home stretch in his career, he still wants to win. His warm-up in the clay season in Europe was like a pendulum in motion, not in simple harmonic, though. There were more troughs than peaks, in his performance graph.
Novak Djokovic is the tennis version of a Heavyweight boxer
Perhaps, when the big stage comes, he rises, just like cold coffee whipped up, where the top froth is lick-able and likable. Well, Novak will continue to torment, for he will not get beaten so easily. The win against World No.1 Alcaraz showed he is greedy for the 23rd Grand Slam title which will make him the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) in all ways. Numerically as well, since Rafael Nadal is stuck at an aggregate of 22 Grand Slam titles.
Novak does not think too much about stats, numbers, and so on. The process of churning out wins in tennis matches is a process. Up next, he faces Casper Ruud, a dreamer of sorts, in the Sunday final. Ruud had lost in the 2022 French Open final to Rafael Nadal. Maybe Ruud will think about all that, naturally. If he really wants to win the French Open in over 24 hours, he has to be ready to take on Novak as the most hungry champion.
Novak knows how to manage his body, and how to use his calm mind. He also knows how to mentally destroy opponents on the court. Ruthless? Yes, but with a heart. For, even when Alcaraz had an injury on Friday, Novak went up to him, showed concern. That is his humane side, where attending to a 20-year-old kid is a natural sign of love.
Unfortunately, like in boxing, when a pugilist is back on his feet after the standing count begins, the opponent will recoil like a spring. Hook, punch, jabs, it’s common to again see the underdog flattened on the ropes. Well, tennis’s version of a boxer who wants to knock out opponents is Novak Djokovic. Heavyweight, for sure!
On Saturday, Novak will rest, rehab, and prep up. It may be a trifle nervous ahead of a big final. He has been in this state many times before. Just that waiting to make history is kind of esoteric.
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S Kannan
(382 Articles Published)