MELBOURNE, Australia – As only true champions do, Novak Djokovic viewed a tournament in which he came within two sets of clinching a record 25th Grand Slam title as something to work on.
In an Australian Open final with both men chasing history, 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz came back to beat Djokovic in four sets on Sunday evening.
“You’re speaking to me ten minutes after I lost the final, so of course I’ll be a little bitter about the loss,” Djokovic said at his official press conference after the final. “But again, I lost to a number 1 in the world and already a legendary player.”
It was the first time Djokovic had ever lost a final at Melbourne Park, where he won 10 of his 24 Grand Slam titles. That is already a record in men’s tennis and in the Open era. It’s something he’s still determined to improve.
He ended a run of four semifinal defeats at the Slams with a semifinal victory over two-time defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, one of two men blocking his path to that 25th championship for two years.
He took a set on the other – Alcaraz – but couldn’t get the job done as he didn’t fully recover from the epic semi-final that didn’t end until after 1:30 am on Saturday.
“I knew I would probably have to beat two of them on my way to the title,” Djokovic said. “I beat one, which is great, so it’s a step further than I went in Grand Slams than last year. Very nice, encouraging.”
“But you know, not enough for me. I’ll keep pushing and see if I get another chance.”
The 38-year-old Djokovic said he had lowered his expectations when he openly admitted that Alcaraz and Sinner were playing at a higher level than anyone else in tennis, and that took the pressure off. But he hasn’t lost confidence that he can still beat anyone on his day.
A pair of breaks helped Djokovic on his way to a 38th Grand Slam final, including a fourth-round walkover and a fortunate reprieve when he trailed by two sets in the quarterfinals before Lorenzo Musetti retired in the third set due to injury.
That prepared him for the five-setter against Sinner, and meant he had been on court for four hours less than Alcaraz prior to the final.
But the sixteen year age difference is huge when there are less than 48 hours between huge confrontations.
“It’s great that I was able to beat Jannik in five sets and really compete against Carlos in four close sets,” he said. “Yes, I remain disappointed with the way I felt in second and third after an incredible start, and I was feeling good about myself and then, yes, things changed.
“But if you draw a line and make an assessment of what has happened in recent weeks, it is of course an incredible achievement for me to be able to play finals, be a few sets away and maybe win a championship.”
Alcaraz said that every time he faced Djokovic it was like a masterclass, and “Every time I can feel that aura from him on the other side of the net, for me it’s a privilege.”
It was also inspiring, he said, the way Djokovic defied critics who said he was too old to break the Alcaraz-Sinner duopoly or reach another major final.
“It’s incredible what he does,” Alcaraz said. “If he maintains this level of tennis throughout the season, he will win great things.
“It depends on how physical he is or how physically demanding the tournament is for him, but I think he is ready to keep winning the big tournaments.”
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