THE AUSTRALIAN Open final on Sunday brings together two generations of men’s tennis, with Novak Djokovic once again standing between history and the sport’s next dominant force.

Djokovic, chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title, faces world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, a player 16 years his junior who is bidding to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Both arrive bruised but standing, fresh from punishing five-set semi-finals that have sharpened the intrigue around what awaits on Rod Laver Arena.

History within reach

With 24 major titles and a record 10 Australian Open crowns, Djokovic’s place among the game’s greats is long secure. Yet his tally remains tied with Australian icon Margaret Court, and the 38-year-old has made little secret of his desire to move clear.

Victory would hand Djokovic an 11th Melbourne title and make him the oldest man to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. He has already taken one age-related milestone this fortnight, surpassing Ken Rosewall as the oldest man to reach an Australian Open final.

Djokovic earned his place with a five-set victory over defending champion Jannik Sinner, a performance he later compared to winning a major. The Serbian now faces one final test, knowing how well he recovers between the semi and the final could be decisive.

“My preparation is as it should be, and I won against him last year here, you know, also in a gruelling match,” Djokovic said. “Let’s see. Let’s see how fresh are we both able to be.

“He also had a big match, but he has 15, 16 years on me. You know, biologically I think it’s going to be a bit easier for him to recover.”

Alcaraz and the future

Alcaraz has had Melbourne firmly in his sights. Already a six-time Grand Slam champion at 22, the Spaniard holds two titles each at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. A win on Sunday would complete the set and see him eclipse Don Budge as the youngest man to achieve the feat.

He would also become the first men’s player under 23 to reach seven major titles, a mark Djokovic himself did not reach until the age of 27.

The Spaniard booked his final spot after edging Alexander Zverev in five hours and 27 minutes, the longest semi-final in tournament history. The effort came at a cost, with Alcaraz cramping badly late in the match.

“Obviously my body could be better, to be honest, but I think that’s normal after five hours and a half,” Alcaraz said. “Hopefully it’s not going to be anything at all, but after five-hours-and-a-half match and that high level physically, I think the muscles are going to be tight.

“I just got to do whatever it takes to be as good as I can for the final.”

A rivalry already rich

Despite Alcaraz’s youth, this is no novelty matchup. Djokovic leads their head-to-head 5-4, with the pair already responsible for a series of bruising, high-stakes encounters.

Alcaraz denied Djokovic in back-to-back Wimbledon finals in 2023 and 2024, while Djokovic claimed Olympic gold by beating the Spaniard in Paris. Djokovic also knocked Alcaraz out of last year’s Australian Open quarter-finals, though Alcaraz won their most recent Grand Slam meeting at the US Open.

Both now face the same question: how much is left in the tank?

Djokovic has never lost an Australian Open final, winning all 10 he has contested. Alcaraz, by contrast, arrives with youth, athleticism and the promise of a future that many believe belongs to him.

On Sunday, one man will leave Melbourne with history secured. The other may still feel that time is firmly on his side.