Australian Open 2025: Why Novak Djokovic needs to ‘raise his game’ against Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne

Djokovic prevailed when the pair last played – in the Paris 2024 Olympic final – but Alcaraz has won their last two meetings at a Grand Slam tournament.

Alcaraz outlasted Djokovic over five sets in the 2023 Wimbledon final before dismantling his opponent, who had knee surgery less than six weeks earlier, to retain the All England Club title last year.

Djokovic avenged those losses on faster grass courts by landing Olympic gold, a high-octane performance on the slower Roland Garros clay that earned him a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) victory.

“Carlos is a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented and a charismatic player,” said Djokovic, who has won a record 24 men’s Grand Slam titles.

“We’ve had some long matches, long exchange matches. They remind me of my matches against (Rafael) Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court.”

Djokovic knows he is likely to need the same intensity over five sets on the fast Melbourne surface.

The most anticipated match at the Australian Open so far will be the first time they have played on a hard court major.

“It’s not often that Djokovic is an underdog in Melbourne, it’s probably been 15 years since he was,” Australian Cash added.