TENNIS
Carlos Alcaraz says “I learn every day, I will come back stronger” after Djokovic defeat
The Spanish tennis star spoke after his loss in Cincinnati to Djokovic, saying it’s “incredible to play against him”.
Last night was tough for Carlos Alcaraz, who, for the first time in his career, lost in the final of the Masters 1000. The world number 1 had chances to win in Cincinnati against Djokovic in a true match for the ages that was settled with a score of 5-7, 7-6 (7), 6-3 to the Serb.
Afterwards, in his post-match speech, Alcaraz was visibly emotional, especially when talking about the support he received from his brother, Álvaro. Here is what the two-time Grand Slam winner had to say:
Defeat in the final: “It’s going to be tough for me to talk right now, but I’ll try. I want to congratulate Novak, it’s incredible to play against him, to share the court with him, to learn from him. It was a very even game, but I learnt a lot from a champion like yourself. Congratulations to your team and yourself.”
On his team: “I want to thank my team. We are working really hard to keep at the top level, to be able to play this type of games. I am very grateful to have them on my team: I want to thank them not only for the professional side of things, but also on a personal level. I learn from you all every day, thank you to everyone.”
His brother Álvaro: “My brother is here, too. It’s great to have him here every day, supporting me, making me better and learning from him. Thank you for being there for me.”
His reaction to the fans: “And Cincinnati, I can only thank you for all the support since the very first day. It has been incredible to play in front of you. I love Cininnnati, I’ll come back stronger. Thank you to everyone.”
What did Novak Djokovic say after the match?
As for Novak Djokovic, he said that the game was “tough to describe” and that it was “Crazy. Honestly, I don’t know what else I can say.... Definitely one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played in my life. Regardless of what tournament, what category, what player.”
“From the beginning until the end we’ve both been through so much, so many ups and downs, highs and lows, incredible points, poor games, heat strokes, coming back... It’s matches like these that I continue to work for.”
The Serb finally said that he enjoys the challenge, remarking that “anybody who’s watching on the stadium or on the TV has seen that this rivalry just gets better and better. Amazing player, tons of respect for him.”