Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Head-to-Head Prediction | Madrid Open 2022

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Madrid Open 2022 Preview

World No. 1, Novak Djokovic sets up an exciting semi-final clash against Carlos Alcaraz Garfia at the 2022 Madrid Open.

Reaching his seventh Madrid Open semi-final after defeating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 6-4 in under 90 minutes, Novak Djokovic advanced to his 72nd Masters 1000 semi-final.

Hurkacz from the beginning appeared nervous which allowed the 20-time Grand Slam champion to take a 3-0 in the first set. 

The Polish player who was appearing in his third straight Masters 1000 quarterfinals finally found his rhythm in the second set but had to pay the price for slacking in the opening games. 

The World No. 1 did not have to break a sweat for a 3-2 lead and continued dominating the World No. 14. 

Djokovic improved his head to head score against Hurkacz 4-0. Their last meeting took place in 2021 at the ATP Masters 1000 Paris. This was their second meeting on clay, their first clay and head to head match taking place at the Roland Garros in 2019.

Speaking to Amazon Prime after reaching his first Masters 1000 semi-final of the year, Djokovic said: "I value it this year more than in previous years because of the circumstances of everything. Look, I still feel motivated to play and be competitive on court, competing with most of the young guys. Obviously there's a change in generation, but the oldies, we’re still out there. We are guys with experience trying to make them run on the court. One thing is for sure, I will definitely play as long as I enjoy it."

Defeating his idol in a three set epic showdown was Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, the sensational Spaniard. Alcaraz overcame Nadal’s trademark comeback to prevail in the end.

Exacting revenge for last year’s defeat in the second-round meeting at the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open, Alcaraz defeated the King of Clay 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. 

The teenager came guns blazing in the first set, blasting 19 winners as the 21-time struggled to match his intensity. 

The second set saw the 19-year-old struggle after a slip that left him requiring treatment for an ankle injury. The World No. 4 began to fire his return game and bagged 20 of the 22 final points of the set to level the match.

The final set saw the five-time Madrid Open champion have the upper hand. But the young bull showed tough resilience, striking the ball with immense intensity and authority to clinch the deciding set and reach the semi-finals of the Madrid Open for the first time.

Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz: Head to Head

This will be the first meeting between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz Garfia on the tour. The Serb will have to dig deep if he wants to defeat the young Spaniard.

This quarter final win takes Alcaraz to No. 6 in the ATP rankings, though Andrey Rublev can reclaim the spot if he beats Stefanos Tsitsipas. He has also extended his winning streak against the Top 10 opponents to five.

Prediction: Novak Djokovic to beat Carlos Alcaraz in 3 sets