Novak Djokovic is all set to be back in action in the Cincinnati Masters after his loss in the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard went to win his first Wimbledon title, denying Djokovic his eighth at the All England Club. Recently, Djokovic was involved in a media interaction with the ATP Tour. He was candid enough to open up about missing out on winning important points and that made the biggest difference in the final as Alcaraz capitalized on the same. The World No.2 revealed that he took just one day to move on from the loss and while his lifelong dream of winning the Calendar Slam has been taken away from him this year, he is still motivated to win titles.
After having taken a bit of time off to recuperate by skipping the Canada Open, Djokovic is now raring to go again. While it is never a given, there is a good chance he might face Alcaraz in the final of the Cincinnati Masters but before that, he will have to navigate a very tough draw. Should he reach the final and face the Spaniard, he will be mentally ready from the looks of what he has said.
Novak Djokovic believes Carlos Alcaraz was a ‘deserved winner’
Novak Djokovic explained that what made him take the defeat in his stride was that the loss against Carlos Alcaraz was not the first time he lost a tennis match or nor his last. It was more important for him to get some rest and spend time with his family, which he did get before arriving in the United States.
Djokovic feels that he should have made the most of leading one set up as he reached a stage where he had multiple chances of winning the set point in the second set. In the final set, the World No.2 had a chance to finish off the match by having chances to win break points at many junctures.
“I was [a] set up and had some set points in the second and I felt that I was close to being in the lead. And then, obviously, some break points in the fifth. It was a close match, but well deserved from his side, because to win he played better in the important moments, and that’s what I said after the final. I think he was a deserved winner and that’s it really, pretty much. You move on.”
Many believe that the match signified a change of guard in the game as with Rafael Nadal injured, Roger Federer retired and Novak Djokovic perhaps on the last lap of his career, Carlos Alcaraz has announced himself as the man to take over the ‘Big Three’. Djokovic, in fact, called Alcaraz a ‘complete’ player and agreed with claims that he is a perfect mix of the legendary trio.
Djokovic excited to be back in USA
The good news for Novak Djokovic is that he is permitted to play in the United States after a gap of 2 years. And the last time he played in Cincinnati, it was way back in 2019. The excitement is palpable as the Serbian has some new-found motivation in terms of wanting to entertain people and just being happy with the fact that he is still passionate to win titles even after 20 years on the ATP Tour. He expressed happiness at seeing thousands of people turning up just to watch him practice in Cincinnati recently ahead of the tournament, as if they are attending this match.
In the same interview, Djokovic talked about this with the following statements –
“I’m not motivated, I wouldn’t be here. Now, after many years of professional tennis, I feel like I have a choice to play what I really want to play. And I really wanted to be here in Cincinnati, and of course, US Open (is) around the corner.”
“It’s really amazing (to see so many young fans turn up). I’m very grateful for the presence of so many people on a practice session. Again, I did experience some tournaments throughout the world, similar atmospheres in terms of the great attendance on the practice courts.
“But I guess, for a while, nothing of this intensity in terms of the presence and the participation of the crowd, on the practice court. The practice points that we played, the atmosphere was great. People were really into it. That gives me even more inspiration to play my best tennis in the tournament.
“I like the feeling that I have after 20 plus years of professional tennis. There’s still fire going. There’s still that drive and motivation to really come at the biggest events in sport and try to win, try to win titles and try to bring some good sensation to the crowds.”
Two-time champion Novak Djokovic is all set to open his Cincinnati Masters campaign against either Spain’s Alejandro Fokina or Tomas Etcheverry. Fokina made it to the semifinals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto recently, which could make the matchup interesting. Should Djokovic advance, it is likely that Great Britain’s Cam Norrie would be his quarterfinal opponent while the reigning Rogers Cup champion and World No.6, Jannik Sinner could be his adversary in the semifinals.
And if Djokovic makes the final, Alcaraz could be the man waiting for him. That could mark another chapter in their growing rivalry, as it would be the the third time the duo would clash this year.
