Djokovic, 38, holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles in men's tennis history. The Serbian superstar's Australian Open title count matches his total losses (10) at the year's first Grand Slam, and he aims to become the oldest champion in the tournament's history. If he wins, Nole would also claim the sole record of 25 Grand Slams, a milestone no male or female player has yet achieved.

Djokovic's morale is high after a dominant victory in the semi-final against Sinner, the Australian Open champion for the last two years. Alcaraz also demonstrated superb quality with a spectacular comeback against Alexander Zverev in his semi-final, recalling his classic comeback win in last year's Roland Garros final. Aside from the match against Zverev, Alcaraz has shown dominant strength in the tournament and has been the player in peak form over the past two weeks.

Alcaraz, at 22, aims to become the youngest player to complete a Career Grand Slam (collecting all four different Grand Slam titles). Known as a big-match player, Alcaraz boasts an impressive record in Grand Slam and Masters 1000 finals, with 14 wins in 16 matches. Specifically in Grand Slams, Alcaraz's resilience often shines when matches go to a fifth set, evidenced by 15 wins in 16 such matches.

Djokovic (right) shakes hands with Alcaraz, after their Australian Open quarter-final match at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne on 21/1/2025. Photo: Reuters

This marks only the second time Nole has faced a higher-ranked player in an Australian Open final, following his showdown with Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023. Broadening this perspective to all Grand Slam finals, Djokovic's record stands at four wins in eight matches.

The gap between Alcaraz and Djokovic is narrow throughout their generational rivalry. Just 12 months ago, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz at Rod Laver Arena, where they will compete this sunday. Djokovic leads Alcaraz 5-4 in their head-to-head record, but has lost three of their five Grand Slam encounters.

The balance of their rivalry is further evident in their four final encounters, with each player securing two victories. One of Alcaraz's notable wins was his defeat of Djokovic at Wimbledon 2023, which ended Nole's dominance at the grass-court Grand Slam. Djokovic later responded by defeating Alcaraz to win the Paris Olympics gold medal.

Vy Anh