Late in the fourth and final set of the Australian Open final, Carlos Alcaraz was ready to deliver the knockout blow.

It was Djokovic’s third-last service game. He had recovered from 0-30 and three times turned to the crowd for further inspiration.

The 10-time AO champion got the score to 5-5, lost the next game, but faced the brutal reality that he had to win serve, or it was lights out. Djokovic was looking for his moment to strike. But, alas, it was not for Djokovic and nearly 20 years of an unblemished record in Australian Open finals was about to end.

Alcaraz , the world No.1 and dominant force in men’s tennis, won the decisive point – a 25-shot rally that confirmed it was the Spaniard’s night to create history by becoming the youngest man to achieve the career grand slam. 

There hadn’t been a break of serve in the set and the tension was palpable. Enter Alcaraz, maybe better described as “The Wall” for the defensive brilliance that had left Djokovic frustrated.

On this clutch point, the pair........

© The Sydney Morning Herald