For a set and a half, Carlos Alcaraz added further fuel to the idea that he had been passed the proverbial torch by Novak Djokovic, having taken over as "the man" in men's tennis with his Wimbledon final victory against the Serb. For an hour-plus in Sunday's Cincinnati final, it looked as if the Spaniard was about to lap his rival after being handed that baton.
Leading 7-5, 4-2, Alcaraz arced a backhand lob over the head of a helpless Djokovic, who could only give a thumbs-up after the ball's heavy topspin brought it thundering down onto the hard court. At 0-15, and with the 36-year-old struggling mightily in the sweltering conditions, the world No. 1 had one hand on the ATP Masters 1000 title.
But as the early-evening shade crept in, Djokovic began to erase the daylight between the two men on the scoreboard. He willed his way to a 5-4 lead in set two, capitalizing on a few loose points to break for the second time in the match. Still, after working so hard to get off the canvas, he found himself on the brink again, facing match point at 5-6 in the ensuing tiebreak.
A big serve and forehand erased the chance, and Djokovic kept coolest in the tension-filled points that followed to force a deciding set for the third straight match in the budding rivalry.
Djokovic had flipped the match on its head, and he drove home his dominance early in set three, finally converting on his seventh break point of the set to lead 4-3. But the drama was far from over: Showing the slightest hint of nerves, Djokovic let slip two match points on return at 5-3 and another two as he attempted to serve out the win at 5-4.
Then four break points went begging, allowing Alcaraz to build a 6-5 lead. But after a gutsy hold from 0-15, Djokovic won the first three and the final three points of the decisive tiebreak to claim his record-extending 39th ATP Masters 1000 crown.
While it won't be remembered as the highest-quality match the rivals have contested—both players' levels were impacted by the brutal heat, and Alcaraz had logged four three-setters on the week coming in—it could stand up as their most dramatic. The tennis was superb at times too, with both players peppering in moments of magic and periods of sustained brilliance, particularly when the chips were down late in each set.
A 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4) winner after three hours, 49 minutes, Djokovic collapsed to the court in triumph. Lingering on his back, his reaction revealed the enormity of his comeback effort and the weight of the result in the larger narrative.
The Serb later celebrated by ripping his shirt, having just ripped the trophy from Alcaraz's hands. Next, he'll hope to take the No. 1 ranking from the Spaniard.
With Alcaraz defending 2,000 ATP ranking points in New York as the reigning US Open champion, Djokovic is in prime position to return to the top spot after the year's final Grand Slam event. Having missed the fourth major in 2022, Djokovic has no points to defend and will pass Alcaraz with just a first-round win.
Despite their continued battles both in the rankings and on the court, the rivals share a tremendous mutual admiration. During his trophy speech, Djokovic paid homage to Alcaraz's refusal to give up.
"I'm Spanish!" Alcaraz chimed in with a big smile.
"Spanish never die," Djokovic replied. "I've heard that before. I've experienced this before," he quipped, alluding to another great Spaniard in Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic and Nadal have met 59 times, with the Serbian holding a 30-29 edge. The Djokovic-Alcaraz rivalry is just four matches old, deliciously poised at 2-2.
What better occasion to break that tie than the 2023 US Open final? As the top two seeds in New York, both men will be favored to make the championship round, just as they did at Wimbledon.
"I'm hoping we can play in a few weeks' time in New York. That would be nice," Djokovic said, wishing for what would be the pair's third meeting in as many Grand Slam tournaments.
Alcaraz's reply echoed the thoughts of tennis fans around the world, with the sentiment particularly strong in the Empire State...
"I hope so!"
