Friday afternoon and evening at the Australian Open delivered something special.
Plenty of highlights and big moments, but also full-blooded, draining, unforgettable tennis that reminded everyone why this tournament holds a unique place in the sporting calendar.
First came Carlos Alcaraz versus Alexander Zverev, a 5hr. 27min monster that tested every fibre of both men. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic went toe-to-toe for 4hr. 9min. in a clash that felt like a referendum on time itself: youth, evolution, and hunger versus experience, scars, and sheer will.
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Both matches had everything. Skill. Tempo shifts. Momentum swings. A bit of controversy. The modern game laid bare – power, movement, endurance. All under the unforgiving Melbourne heat and humidity, bouncing up off a hard court and straight back into tired bodies and minds.
I could easily write about injury timeouts, rules, and officiating, particularly around Alcaraz’s cramping, but that’s not what interests me. That’s for journalists, administrators, and Tennis Australia to sort out. Rules exist for a reason, and enforcement should be encouraged when these moments arise.
What does interest me is what performances like these actually do to an athlete.
I still get asked, and was asked again recently, how, as a fast bowler, we could bowl ball after ball, spell after spell, day after day, and keep turning up.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates his victory in the Men’s Singles Semifinal against Jannik Sinner. Credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Cricket isn’t body-on-body contact like footy, but make no mistake, it’s physical. The repeated, violent action of bowling on hard surfaces takes its toll. Ankles, knees, backs, hips. Over time, everything adds up.
I’m in no way comparing the fitness of cricketers to tennis players, but they share the similarity of being non-contact without taking away from the fact they are high in physical demands.
The serve alone is a repetitive, explosive movement that loads the shoulder, spine, and legs again and again. Add constant sprinting, deceleration, lateral movement, and pounding on hard courts, in heat that reflects back into your face, and you’ve got a sport that quietly chews athletes up.
I never played professional tennis, but I played tennis a lot growing up. I still remember those long, hot three-set matches. The dead legs. The tight lower back. The heavy arms. That feeling where everything feels a fraction slower than your brain wants it to be. And that was without global scrutiny, full stadiums, or the knowledge that careers and legacies were on the line.
Now multiply that out to five sets. In front of crowds, right on top of you. Under lights. Knowing there’s no tomorrow if you lose.
So how do you back up from something like what Djokovic and Alcaraz just went through?
Carlos Alcaraz (R) of Spain embraces Alexander Zverev (L) of Germany after his victory in the Men’s Singles Semifinal. Credit: Phil Walter/Getty Images
The short answer: because they’re elite professionals who know exactly what’s required. Their bodies are conditioned for it. Their routines are dialled in. Recovery isn’t optional, it’s a skill, and this is why they make the sacrifices they make in their lives for their careers – to be in finals, to be the one holding up the trophy.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy. What drives athletes at this level isn’t just fitness. It’s determination. It’s an obsession. It’s a deep love for the grind, even when it hurts. That feeling becomes an addiction in some way.
And nowhere was that clearer than watching Djokovic. At 38, he looked shattered at times against a younger, fresher, and supremely fit Sinner.
You could see it between points, he looked uncomfortable at times, even hurt. In the pauses. But the will never left him. The competitive fire never dimmed. That match was a masterclass in how far belief and experience can carry you when the body is screaming to stop.
Now the job shifts entirely to recovery. Sleep, food, hydration, soft-tissue work, all in a brutally short window. Both Alcaraz and Djokovic will walk into Sunday’s final sore. Fatigued. Carrying something. That’s professional sport.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates his victory in the Men’s Singles Semifinal. Credit: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
At this stage, it becomes less about who feels best and more about who manages the discomfort the smartest. When to go up and down the gears. Stepping up when the big moments present themselves. The mind games of sports are a great part of it.
Alcaraz, 22, has the obvious advantage of youth. He’ll bounce back quicker. His ceiling is outrageous. But Djokovic has been here more times than anyone can count. Experience matters when legs are heavy and moments get tight.
Two weeks of a grand slam is brutal even to watch. To survive it, to thrive in it, requires months, years, and careers of unseen work. Nothing about these performances happens by accident. The preparation, the sacrifice, the mental conditioning, all of it leads to nights like Friday.
That Alcaraz–Zverev semi almost went as long as a full day in the field in Test cricket. Different sports, different demands, but the same requirement of resilience, endurance, and a willingness to be uncomfortable for extended periods of time.
FILE PHOTO (EDITORS NOTE: COMPOSITE OF IMAGES – Image numbers 2259029828, 2257705422) In this composite image a comparison has been made between Novak Djokovic of Serbia (L) and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain. They will meet in the Australian Open Men’s Final on February 1,2026 at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia.***LEFT IMAGE*** MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 30: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand in the Men’s Singles Semifinal against Jannik Sinner of Italy during day 13 of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 30, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. ***LEFT IMAGE*** MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 23: Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a backhand against Corentin Moutet of France in the Men’s Singles Third Round during day six of the 2026 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photos by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) Credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
So who’s my pick? I think Alcaraz should be too good. His youth and recovery capacity give him the edge. But I was wrong thinking Sinner would beat Djokovic, and I won’t underestimate the Djoker.
If Alcaraz doesn’t recover well after the cramping in the semi, if his legs go early, Djokovic’s will and experience could still drag him across the line. Either way, it would be phenomenal.
Let’s hope for a great finish to what’s already been a quality Australian Open, one that reminded us just how much the game demands and how much the very best are willing to give.
