On Wednesday in New York, two men prepared in very different ways for the match of the tournament so far.
Novak Djokovic was trying every trick in his playbook to recover his ageing body; Carlos Alcaraz was golfing with Sergio Garcia.
It is a contrast as wide as the Hudson River and one that sums up where these two men are: one cavorting in the full flush of youth, the other wrestling with the burdens of age.
On Tuesday night the 38-year-old Djokovic ended the American challenge in the men’s singles for another year by taking down Taylor Fritz in four sets and, in so doing, proved that, pushing 40, he has the measure of every player on the planet.
Bar two, that is. For, excepting an aberration against Alexei Popyrin here last year, in Djokovic’s last seven Grand Slams he has been stopped only by Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz, or injury.
The great Serb’s great frustration is that, by the time he runs into the two young pups in a Slam, the wear and tear of previous rounds leaves him incapable of his best level.
There is a pertinent reason why this time might be different. By dint of being in the bottom half of the draw, Alcaraz and Djokovic have two days off before the semis, rather than one. As Djokovic, who is dealing with a back issue but looked in good shape against Fritz, said after that quarter-final: ‘I don’t feel very fresh at the moment, but hopefully in two days it will be different.’
Djokovic has won his last two meetings with Alcaraz – at the Australian Open and last year’s Olympic gold medal match
By dint of being in the bottom half of the draw, Alcaraz and Djokovic have two days off before the semis
Djokovic has won his last two meetings with Alcaraz – at the Australian Open and last year’s Olympic gold medal match – but the 22-year-old Spaniard is playing with staggering brilliance here in New York, on track to become the first man in the Open Era to win this title without dropping a set. All he needs to do before Friday is stay relaxed and not overthink – hence the golf, a fourball with coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, Garcia and fellow Spanish golfer David Puig.
Djokovic finds himself in the role he inhabited in the early years of his career: striving to break up an all-powerful duopoly at the top of the game.
‘Well, it’s not going to get easier, I tell you that,’ Djokovic said, striking a cautious note. ‘The next couple of days are key for me to get my body in shape and ready to battle five sets.
‘I would really love that. I would love to be fit enough to play potentially five sets with Carlos. I know my best tennis is going to be required.
‘Normally I like to play the big matches on a big stage. It’s just that I’m not sure how the body is going to feel in the next few days. But I’m going to do my very best.’
