TENNIS
Djokovic says he was “over” Wimbledon final defeat to Alcaraz “in a day”
The Serb, who will come back into action in Cincinnati, talked about his defeat in Wimbledon against Alcaraz and says he is ready for the US Open.
Novak Djokovic had some big plans this season, but he didn’t expect things would play out differently in the third Grand Slam tournament of the calendar, Wimbledon.
The Serb wanted this year to be one of his most successful ones, surpassing Rafa Nadal as the player with the most majors won in the men’s category and trying to win all four Grand Slam events. However, he won’t be able to lift those four trophies after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in an epic final at the All-England Club.
After his battle with the Spanish star, Djokovic decided to take a break to be with his family and come back stronger to the tennis courts. He announced he would not take part in the National Bank Open, in Toronto, due to fatigue, but he will play singles and doubles in Cincinnati.
Djokovic only needed “one day” to forget
Nole, who has already been training in Cincinnati, said he has fully recovered from his defeat in the Wimbledon final.
“It’s not the first [nor] the last match that I lost, so I was over it in a day. Obviously, I needed some really good rest after that, and some time with my family, and that’s what I did. So, of course, I was regretting not using the chances during that final”, he stated.
“(...) 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”, Djokovic explained.
He admitted that he’s now fully focused on playing his best tennis again and on trying to lift the US Open trophy
“I really wanted to be here in Cincinnati, and of course, the US Open is around the corner.”
“It’s been two years since I was last in America. So, of course, I’m very excited and was very much looking forward to coming”, he added.
Djokovic will play either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Wednesday, while he will feature in doubles alongside fellow countryman Nikola Cacic.