As he exited Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic refused a full on-court interview with commentator Jim Courier. Typically, the victorious player answers a few questions for the television broadcast. Instead, the Serbian star took the microphone to make a short statement before heading down the tunnel.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- It's time for the eighth installment of the riveting, intergenerational rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. This one, though, will be the first at the Australian Open — and the first in the quarterfinals of a tournament; each of the others came in either a semifinal or final.

Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray faced each other 36 times throughout their tennis careers, mostly in finals and often at the business end of a grand slam. But at this year’s Australian Open, their decades-long rivalry has taken an unexpected turn.