Tired but overjoyed, Djokovic later said that he “won that match with a racket and a big heart.”
This feeling sums up the second half of his career. Djokovic’s movement is still flawless, his punches are still powerful, but his body doesn’t always take the hits.
Against Auger-Aliassime, an innocuous slide into a backhand saw him injure his left calf and require a medical time-out.
His movement was hampered for the rest of the first set, especially on serve, but he was helped along the way to his first shot by a series of errors from the Canadian.
But five hours later, Djokovic was still moving around the court as well as ever.
“I’ve been watching this guy for 20 years and time and time again, when it matters most, he delivers,” former UK number one Tim Henman told BBC TV.
“This is the answer we all expect from Novak Djokovic.”
Moments like these are worth cherishing.
Djokovic is the last surviving player of the Big Three era. It took the retirement of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for some to realize how special Djokovic is and how lucky tennis is to have him.
Beyond the generational rivalries of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the ATP Tour is struggling to attract players challenging the majors or to break through and captivate the general public.
Djokovic is the one who is still passing this on to the youth. He beat Sinner at the Australian Open in Melbourne and beat Alcaraz in the final.
He did what others can’t – beat both players in recent years, despite theoretically having youth, strength and speed on their side.
Asked afterwards if he was surprised by his level, Djokovic replied: “Yes and no.
“I think yes, at this stage I can still fight these young guys who have 15 years less than me, that I can beat them by the maximum possible score.
“In some ways it’s a really pleasant surprise. But at the same time, I always have the highest expectations for myself.
“I can be very self-critical and very hard on myself. But I try to enjoy these moments.”