Novak Djokovic produces his best and proves he can still compete with the young guns.
The 36-year-old Serbian beat Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday in a thrilling three-set final that lasted nearly four hours. Upon winning the final point, Djokovic collapsed to the floor before shaking his opponent’s hand and tearing his shirt from his tired body.
Alcaraz, from Spain, took the first set 7-5 and was poised to take the second set too, gaining a 4-2 lead against the Serbian. Djokovic fought back, though, forcing a second-set tiebreak and even saving a match point, according to the ATP Tour. He won the tiebreak 9-7. The third set was just as close, as it also went to a tie-break. Djokovic won the third-set tiebreak 7-4.
The match lasted 3 hours and 49 minutes, the longest best-of-three set final since 1990, according to ESPN.
“This was one of the exciting matches I’ve ever played in any tournament,” Djokovic said during the post-match trophy presentation. “It felt like a Grand Slam.”
Nolefam ❤️#CincyTennis | @DjokerNole pic.twitter.com/5dUYqJlE5z
— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 21, 2023
For Djokovic, this was the perfect revenge for losing to the 20-year-old Spaniard in the 2023 Wimbledon final. As things stand, Alcaraz is still No. 1 in the world and Djokovic sits closely behind him as No. 2. (RELATED: Tennis Player Yells At Heckling Fan, Refuses To Continue Match Until He Leaves)
The American tennis star Coco Gauff also won Sunday. It was her first WTA 1000 title, according to the Daily Express.
While most tennis players would be thinking about retirement at the age of 36, Djokovic intends to keep winning big tournaments. He praised the young Alcaraz during his winner’s speech stating: “You never give up, do you?” he said. “I love that about you. I hope we meet in New York. That would be fun — well, for the fans, not for me.”
“The match was pretty close,” Alcaraz replied. “I’ll be back.”
The US Open starts Aug. 28.