In the immediate aftermath of the unforgettable gold-medal match between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Olympics last year, after two brutal sets of the highest quality and intensity, emotions flowed freely on both sides of the court. Djokovic collapsed on to the ground, his body shaking as he sobbed into the clay, while tears flowed from Alcaraz’s eyes as he was forced to abort his post-match interview. At the same time that Djokovic was digesting the crowning achievement of his unparalleled career, Alcaraz initially believed he had let his entire country down.
With 17 years separating two players at completely different points of their careers, there was a chance that they could have missed each other. Instead, thanks to their historic precocity and longevity respectively, the rivalry that has developed between the pair, the oldest and youngest No 1 players in the history of men’s tennis, is different to any match-up the sport has seen.
