The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic exuded true sportsman spirit as he reflected on his performance and congratulated Carlos Alcaraz for his win at the Australian Open. The Serb played against the Spaniard at Rod Laver Arena on Sunday but ultimately failed to win a record 11th title in Melbourne.
Djokovic dominated from the outset, taking the first set 6-2. Still, Alcaraz clawed his way back into the match, claiming the following three sets and becoming the youngest to complete a career Grand Slam. After the ceremony, the 38-year-old addressed the media in a customary post-game press conference, where, after reflecting on the heartbreaking loss, the Serb refused to take the spotlight away from Alcaraz, citing physical strain and issues during the match as excuses for his loss.
“I mean, look, I never like to talk about things that you know, I go through, you know, physically or health-wise, because it’s gonna come across as I’m looking for excuses and taking away the credit of the winner, which is not gonna change this time. I’m just going to congratulate Carlos, and you know, he was the deserved winner on the court today,” Djokovic said.
Next, Djokovic provided a detailed analysis of how he felt in the first set, how he regained his energy in the fourth, and the service break chances he missed, ultimately accepting that some shots can change the course of a match and that you have to take the result in the end.
“Yeah, game-wise, game-wise, you saw it. The first set was one of the best sets I’ve played in the last couple of years, and then, you know, I kind of regained my energy and momentum in mid-fourth. You know, I asked the crowd to get involved, and they did. Yeah, just a bad, bad miss for all and break point and that forehand, had a good look at that forehand, and yeah, my forehand broke down in important moments,” Djokovic said.
“Yeah, that’s what happens. I mean one or two shots can can can change the momentum of the match and switch things around which happened and I’m just very disappointed I wasn’t able to maintain that kind of feeling that I had in the first set it’s just you know a lot of what-if scenarios in my head and yeah, I guess it is what it is you have to just accept it as it is,” he added.
Novak Djokovic Praised Carlos Alcaraz And Exclaimed He Always Believes in His Talents
At the beginning of the press conference, Djokovic responded to a question about whether his rivalry with Alcaraz could take on the same shape as his previous ones with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“It’s always a pleasure to face him because he definitely is one of the best players I’ve ever faced in my career. So, you know, he makes you play your best tennis to beat him. So, you know, it’s what I’ve done, but then things changed, and he deserved to win,” Djokovic said, praising his compatriot.
Furthermore, he reflected on expressing belief in his talents, knowing that he can compete at the highest level. “Well, I always believe I can; otherwise, I wouldn’t be competing, and I said this numerous times, so it’s great that I was able to beat Jannick in five and really battle Carlos in four close sets,” Djokovic said.
“I remain disappointed with the way I felt in second and third, and after an incredible start, and then yeah, things change, and it is what it is in sports. But of course, when you draw a line, and you make your own assessment of what happened over the last couple of weeks, it’s an incredible achievement for me to be able to play finals, be a couple of sets away, maybe to win a championship,” he added.
While the Serb regroups his energy reserves and enjoys some rest, it remains to be seen where he will play next, with many speculating it could be any of the first two 1000 Master’s events on the ATP circuit, which commence in March.
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