Novak Djokovic cracked a wide smile on the big stage and licked his lips. He was exactly where he wanted to be as he duelled with young rival Carlos Alcaraz in their US Open semi-final, the muscle memory ingrained within the 24-time grand slam champion taking over. Djokovic won two outstanding points in the second-set tiebreak, defying his age to outmanoeuvre his younger opponent and he sensed his opportunity to strike.
At 38, Djokovic was determined to enjoy the battle and take nothing for granted. But then, reality and time hit him like a train. After those two lung-bursting points, which sent Alcaraz sliding and spinning into the tramlines, Djokovic suddenly hit the wall. He made basic errors in the rallies, checking out of exchanges where he used to outlast his opponents. “I ran out of gas,” Djokovic admitted.
