The reaction wasn't quite proportionate to the occasion. Novak Djokovic fell on his back, stayed put for seconds, got up to hug his opponent, then ripped his shirt down to the middle and yelled with eyes shut. It resembled his 2012 Australian Open triumph celebration after beating Rafael Nadal, although this was the final of the Cincinnati Masters, among tournaments on the ATP Tour that Djokovic has stopped prioritising.
It was the guy across the net, the backdrop of their duel and the classic it turned into, however, that brought all of that out again for the 23-time Grand Slam champion. It had been just over a month since Carlos Alcaraz spectacularly stopped Djokovic going for his 24th major in the Wimbledon final, and so the Serb's match point-saving 7-6(6), 7-6(4) win against the young Spaniard last Sunday was an emotionrousing reversal.
Tables have also turned around the duo's storylines heading into the US Open that kicks off in New York on Monday. The 36-year-old Djokovic, back in the season-ending Slam after a year's absence owing to his vaccination status, isn't the standout hunted.
Sharing that space with him now is Alcaraz, the 20-year-old defending champion who has climbed the ranking peak and collected a Wimbledon trophy since his world-announcing breakthrough at Flushing Meadows last year. As last year's semifinalist Frances Tiafoe put it, Alcaraz is "definitely the guy to beat".
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