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02.02.2026.

8:39

Who is chasing whom here, in the end?

We have watched many of Novak’s finals, but this one in Melbourne 2026 was different. You could feel it from the very first point.

Izvor: B92.sport

Autor: Iva Jevtić

Iva Jevtić
Who is chasing whom here, in the end?
Hu Jingchen / Xinhua News / Profimedia

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It wasn’t the usual hunger for a trophy, but something much deeper—as if Novak wanted, one more time, to prove to himself and the world that time has no power over him unless he allows it.

In the end, the scoreboard showed Alcaraz as the winner (2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5). But anyone who actually watched the match knows that the score isn’t the only truth here.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The first set was… well, surreal. At 38 years old, Novak played as if he were 25. Every shot had surgical precision, while Alcaraz looked like a child trying to catch the wind with his hands. It was one of those half-hours of perfection that only Djokovic can deliver. Analytically speaking, that level of intensity was unsustainable, but honestly—it was beautiful to watch.

However, tennis is ruthless because it doesn’t forgive fatigue. As the match went on, it became clear that Carlos’s engine was running at higher RPMs. Novak began shortening points, searching for tactical solutions, trying to ‘outsmart’ his own body, which had started sending signals of fatigue.

Who is chasing whom here, in the end?
Sofascore

If we had to single out one moment that defines Novak in 2026, it’s the fourth set. He was behind, his legs were heavy, his face red from effort. Yet that familiar look of his—the ‘you won’t break me that easily’ expression—returned to his face.

He saved those break points purely with experience. It was no longer about cheering for the Serbian or the Spaniard; it was admiration for human will. Even when Alcaraz hit that final winner for the title, Novak simply smiled faintly and nodded. As if to say:

‘It’s okay, kid, you earned it, but I’m not done yet.’

Statisticians will write about how Novak lost a final at his home turf for the first time and how he stayed at 24 slams. But those are just numbers. What remains is the image of a man who refused to back down.

This wasn’t a defeat that hurts like those before. This was a defeat that celebrates an incredible career. Novak didn’t lose because he became a worse player, but because Alcaraz was physically stronger in that moment, just as Novak once was compared to Federer.

Who is chasing whom here, in the end?
Tanjug/AP Photo/Dita Alangkara

Watching Novak fight until his last breath in Melbourne 2026 was a privilege that probably no one is fully aware of yet. He has nothing left to prove. Every time he steps onto the court now, it is a pure gift to those of us who love this sport.

Melbourne saw him off with ovations that, it seems, lasted longer than the trophy ceremony itself. And that, at the end of the day, is the only title that truly matters—and the only thing that will be ‘chased’ in the distant future. Because Novak has long since no one, and no one to ‘chase’ with.

Did someone say something?!

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Australian Open Novak Djokovic

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