In a match that felt more fitting for the final, Novak Djokovic defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open on Tuesday, positioning himself for a historic 25th Grand Slam singles title.

Djokovic, who has won the tournament ten times, required medical assistance after losing the first set to the third-seeded Spaniard. However, he bounced back by consistently breaking Alcaraz’s serve and clinching the last three sets.

“Honestly, if I had lost that second set, I don’t know if I would have kept playing,” Djokovic, 37, confessed in a post-match talk. “But I started feeling better and played well to finish off the second set.”

Alcaraz, just 21, experienced seven service breaks – a stark contrast to his previous four matches in which he had only lost his serve three times total in the tournament.

In their eighth encounter, Djokovic emerged victorious for the fifth time, securing a spot in the semifinals with a score of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 at Rod Laver Arena.

“I honestly wish this match was the final,” Djokovic remarked, describing it as “one of the most epic matches I’ve played on this court, or any court for that matter.”

The contest stretched over three and a half hours, finishing just before 1 a.m. in Melbourne.

Djokovic refrained from discussing the specifics of his injury, which seemed to affect his groin. “Since I’m still in the tournament, I prefer not to disclose too much, the medication kicked in and helped, no doubt. I had to take another dose,” he explained.

“I took my chances and started moving better. It bothered me less and less as the match went on, except for that second set.”

As the tournament’s seventh seed, Djokovic has until Friday to recuperate before facing second-seeded Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.

“When the medications start to wear off, I’ll see what the reality is tomorrow morning,” he noted. “But for now, I’ll just try to savor the moment.”

Alcaraz had won their last encounter in straight sets during last year’s Wimbledon final, but Djokovic got his revenge when he captured the Olympic gold medal shortly after on the clay of Roland Garros.

Already holding the record with ten Australian Open titles, Djokovic is currently tied with Margaret Smith Court, boasting 24 Grand Slam singles titles in total.

(This story has been updated with new information.)