Novak Djokovic downed Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round of the ongoing Australian Open 2024, to set-up a mouthwatering blockbuster quarter-final clash with arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz. The Serbian was dominant on Sunday in Melbourne as he cruised past Lehecka in the first and second sets. But then the Czech ace tried to make a comeback in the third set, and the crowd joined him in support.

But to Djokovic’s frustration, the Rod Laver Arena spectators began to annoy and distract him, especially when he would serve, that even the chair umpire had to intervene.

‘They remind me of my duels against Rafael Nadal’: Novak Djokovic

Speaking ahead of the highly-anticipated quarter-final showdown, Djokovic compared his encounters with Alcaraz to Rafael Nadal, who announced his retirement last year. Alcaraz is considered to be Nadal’s successor in Spain and world tennis.

“Like most of our matches, I hope Carlos and I can embrace a great battle. There have been only two uneven encounters between us. I played well against him at the 2023 ATP Finals, and he responded in last year’s Wimbledon final,” he said.

“The other matches were long and exhausting. They remind me of my duels against Rafa Nadal regarding the intensity and energy we bring to the court,” he added.

Alcaraz has faced Djokovic seven times, and the Spaniard trails 3-4. All seven of their encounters have happened in semi-finals or finals of ATP Tour and Olympics.

They first met at the 2022 Madrid Masters semi-finals, where Alcaraz reigned supreme in a deciding set tiebreaker. Then they met again in the semi-finals of the 2023 French Open, where Djokovic won in four sets and Alcaraz fell victim to cramps.

Their next meeting was the 2023 Wimbledon final clash, in which Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in a five-setter. They met again at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters final, with the Serbian winning. In 2024, they met in two finals, with Alcaraz coming out on top at Wimbledon and Djokovic winning at Paris 2024.