Novak Djokovic wins after midnight in Paris—but at what price?

The contrast between the desire of a tennis fan and the needs of a tennis player is at its most polarized past midnight. For those watching, the spectacle enthralls. It’s a rare occasion, etched into memory, the spectator’s sleep deprivation made up soon enough with one or two nights of reasonable rest. For those playing, it is a harsh path, both in the moment, once again in the days and nights to come.

Call ultra-early morning pro tennis the athletic equivalent of having to take out a second mortgage, each successive hour of labor a form of compound debt. In the wake of Sunday morning’s four-hour and 32-minute epic between 22-year-old Lorenzo Musetti and 37-year-old Novak Djokovic, who will suffer most?

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Tip a hat to Musetti, for whom the spring clay court season had ended cruelly yet again. Three years ago in Paris, Musetti led Djokovic two sets to love, only to be overtaken, retiring from the match when trailing, 4-0 in the fifth.

This Sunday, he’d stood a point away from going down two sets to love. But at that moment, Musetti played a sharply aggressive point, and from there, went on to go up two sets to one, his game paced by electric shot-making, including a one-handed backhand which repeatedly displayed that shot’s distinctive elegance. Once again, though, Musetti had been dominated at the end, Djokovic winning the decider, 6-0.

WATCH: Novak Djokovic ends latest match in Roland Garros history, at 3:07 in Paris

Musetti’s ability to challenge but not close summoned a comment Jimmy Connors once made about a troubling opponent: “I knew he could cut me; he just couldn’t kill me.”

But when the bleeding takes place past midnight, the implications are staggering. The original plan had been for Musetti and Djokovic to start shortly after 8:00 p.m. Amid frequently rainy conditions, it was decided to squeeze in another match on Court Philippe-Chatrier prior, pushing the start of Musetti-Djokovic to past 10:30 p.m. No other sport makes such demands on an athlete’s time.

It was nearly 1:45 a.m. when Musetti won the third set. “At one point, I didn’t know, really, what to do,” said Djokovic. “It didn’t feel great playing him that third set and the beginning of the fourth.”

The contrast between the desire of a tennis fan and the needs of a tennis player is at its most polarized past midnight. Joel Drucker, Tennis.com

To win, Djokovic would likely need to be on the court until at least 3:00 a.m. Tally up post-match recovery—stretch, drink, eat, travel—and Djokovic would likely attempt to find sleep at 6:00 a.m.

Yet again, Djokovic revealed his greatest talent: tenacity and its attendant ability to define time as simply the single moment of the next point. The efficiency of the Djokovic playing style comes strongly from his head. Imagine the thousands of hours he has put into building it, first as a child, through adolescence, onward as a pro. But the fuel for Djokovic’s excellence comes from his heart, a relentless ability to embrace struggle, stay in the moment, hit one ball after another, and continually solve the problems placed in front of him.

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It was past 2:30 a.m. when the fifth set began. This was the 50th time Djokovic had gone that far, the eighth for Musetti. Now was the time when age mattered far less than experience and the distinct blend of head and heart that has taken Djokovic to so many victories.

And yet, in the wake of a victory earned at such a late hour, which direction would this victory propel Djokovic—forward, backward, sideways? “Who’s going to sleep now?” Djokovic asked. “It’s impossible to sleep, so much adrenaline. If you’re having a party, I’m coming.”

What kind of condition would Sunday’s effort leave Djokovic in for his next match, set to take place Monday versus—well, anybody, much less 27th-ranked Francisco Cerundolo? Then again, as Musetti had learned first-hand, posing questions versus Djokovic is mostly a futile endeavor. At the age of 37, Djokovic had shown that a lion in winter is still a lion.