Novak Djokovic secured a crucial victory over Carlos Alcaraz to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open. Following his win, the Serb shared a heartfelt moment with his wife Jelena, son Stefan, and daughter Tara.
Djokovic showed early signs of injury struggles against Alcaraz, dropping the first set 4-6. However, the 37-year-old staged an impressive comeback, claiming the next three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to secure his spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the 12th time.
The Serb is joined in Australia by his wife Jelena, seven-year-old daughter Tara, and nine-year-old son Stefan for his campaign. This is the first time the kids have traveled with their father to a Major.
After his impressive victory over third seed Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic embraced his son Stefan, planting a kiss on him. The 24-time Major champion was later joined by his wife Jelena and daughter Tara in the touching moment, as the family celebrated with warm hugs.
Check out the clip shared by Eurosport Italia on Instagram:
The grueling three-hour and 40-minute match concluded close to 1 a.m. During the on-court post-match interview, Djokovic expressed his appreciation for his children’s support from the stands. In a lighthearted moment, he humorously asked them when they planned to sleep, given the late hour. Tara responded playfully by pointing to an imaginary watch on her wrist.
“I felt that he was looking at me more than he was looking at himself”: Novak Djokovic on his Australian Open QF match against Carlos Alcaraz
In his post-match press conference, Novak Djokovic sympathized with Carlos Alcaraz, acknowledging the difficulty of playing against an opponent whose physical condition is uncertain, as it creates unpredictability.
“Look, I feel for him. I understand that it’s not comfortable to play someone that you don’t know if he’s going to retire or not. Is he moving? Is he running? What’s happening? I felt that he was looking at me more than he was looking at himself,” the Serb said.
The 24-time Major champion emphasized his approach of self-monitoring while staying focused on each point to maintain pressure and secure the win.
“I was just trying to be, yeah, self-observing what’s going on in my body and at the same time focus on every point in every game and try to hold my serve and put pressure on him. That’s what happened,” he added.
Novak Djokovic is set to face second-seed Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open semifinals. With an 8-4 head-to-head record against the German, the former World No. 1 enters as the favorite. The winner of the match will face either Ben Shelton or Jannik Sinner in the final.
