Novak Djokovic is headed back to the final of the French Open.
Djokovic scored a victory for the old guard Thursday afternoon in Paris, registering a kind of technical knockout against a cramping Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic prevailed in four sets, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, in a match that had figured to be one for the ages.
It pitted arguably the greatest player ever in Djokovic, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, trying to hold off Alcaraz, a 20-year-old looking to move one step closer to completing his takeover of the sport. Djokovic and Alcaraz had shown themselves to be a level better than anyone else during the past year as they took turns winning Grand Slam titles and clamoring for the world’s top ranking.