Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz: Intergenerational Competition for Ages | ATP Journey

ATP Journey

Djokovic vs. Alcaraz: Intergenerational competition for age groups

Look at the uniqueness of Djokovic-Aras competition

September 5, 2025

Fans want to see many fantasy showdowns between players of different generations. Who doesn’t like watching Bjorn Borg play his idol and final coach Stefan Edberg with Pete Sampras or Roger Federer?

The age gap between the two pairs (two years and 15 years old) is actually apart from 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz and 38-year-old Novak Djokovic, who will meet in the U.S. Open semifinals on Friday. Alcaraz and Djokovic seem to be at the biggest stage in sports, but over the past three years they have established intergenerational competition that will be remembered in the years to come.

There is not much precedent for this kind of competition in all sports. Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who had been separated for nearly 13 years, became fierce opponents of F1 glory. Floyd Mayweather boxed Canelo Alvarez, a junior 13-year-old, but they weren’t their career.

Serena Williams is 16 years older than Naomi Osaka in tennis, but they only met four times, while Djokovic led 5-3 in the series, adding Chapter 9 on Friday.

Roger Federer recently competed in his 30s and was in the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals at 39.

From the meeting held earlier this year at the Australian Open, two stars have met for some of the biggest prizes on tennis in the first chapter of the Djokovic-Alcaraz ATP Head2head series opened at Mutua Madrid in 2022, including two major finals, including the Paris Match Gold Masters and the ATP Masters and the ATP Masters 1000 final. Their quarterfinals in Melbourne this season are their earliest meeting in any competition.

Djokovic’s longevity made it possible to a large extent. The Serbian is now seven years older than his idol Sampras. In 2025, he played his last four games in all Grand Slam matches. The one who commented on the first Djokovic-Alkalaz conflict, Nick Lester.

“I will never forget Andre Agassi said that when he worked for a short period of time with Novak, that 40-year-old Djokovic might still compete at the highest level because his body and makeup are something he’s never seen before,” Leicester said. “It has been bothering me all the time. When Andre spoke, I think most people are listening. We’re here, not far from that, maybe a few years away from it. So part of me wasn’t surprised.

“But I think there is a small part of me.

It was the time for the Spaniard to enter the sun when Djokovic and Alcalaz first met in Madrid three years ago. Alcaraz beat Rafael Nadal and Djokovic in back-to-back days and spent three hours and 36 minutes to frustrate the Serbs.

“No doubt this is probably one of the best times of my life,” Alkaraz said.

The tennis world hardly knows that he will be the youngest No. 1 player in PIF ATP rankings in four months. Alcaraz then showed that he was more than Djokovic’s challenger when he beat Serbia in 2023 and 2024 in back-to-back Wimbledon finals.

It wasn’t until last year’s Paris Olympics that Djokovic fought back, claiming that the final trophy was missing in his collection. Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have already reached the top of the sport, with seven consecutive Grand Slams between them.

Suddenly, Djokovic had a record of weeks with a score of 428 in the PIF ATP ranking, not the Hunter. Alcaraz played the dazzling full-game tennis ball, which is the 100 Tour-level titration list that needs to rise rather than the other way around.

But as Djokovic said at this year’s Australian Open, he is eager to do that with his younger competitors. The 38-year-old may need to expel Alcaraz and Sinner to the U.S. Open Championship.

“Everyone is probably looking forward to it and looking forward to it [the] Djokovic said two of them. I’m going to try to mess up most people’s plans. ”

Djokovic may be 38 years old, but he doesn’t have it like this. Only the Sinners beat him twice in one Grand Slam this season. The 24-time major champion retired after a match in the Australian Open semifinals.

“I think he’s been replaced by two players who might raise the bar again when we think it must be possible,” Leicester said of Sina and Alkaraz. “But I think it’s amazing in terms of the age gap and age gap, no doubt. There’s a part of me who thinks these two guys are still driven by Novak at this age, and I think we saw that in his press conference later.

“There is still a little bit of ‘Don’t forget me’ edge. I know he’s done everything, and I know he’s ticking a lot in every box in the sport. But I think these two guys might even give him the last fuel right now, which is probably what I’ve got in the sport.”

Djokovic has another chance to show why his Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium is still very important.