A supremely confident Novak Djokovic was humbled by Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, with the Spaniard ousting his vastly more experienced opponent in a gripping Wimbledon final. While Djokovic was ultimately gracious in defeat, a series of self-assured comments earlier in the tournament could now make for uncomfortable reading.
Djokovic was always likely to take some stopping at the All England Club, where he had not lost a completed match since 2016. Routine wins over Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner provided yet more evidence that Alcaraz was in for a difficult afternoon.
The Spaniard stunned those inside Centre Court, however, by winning an epic five-set battle and lifting his first Wimbledon title. Djokovic, 36, was left red-faced in the process after telling his rivals earlier in the week that the prospect of them ending his bid for glory ‘ain’t happening’.
“I think any tennis player wants to be in a position where everyone wants to win against you on the court,” explained the Serb after defeating seventh seed Rublev.
“It is a privilege. Pressure is part of what we do, it is part of our sport. It’s never going to go away, regardless of how many Grand Slams you win or how many matches you won or how many years that you’re playing professionally on the tour. I know that [my rivals] want to get a scalp, they want to win, but it ain’t happening.”
On the same evening, during his post-match press duties, Djokovic doubled down on his positive stance when asked if he considered himself the favourite to go all the way for the eighth time at SW19.
“I don’t want to sound arrogant, but of course I would consider myself favourite,” he responded. “Judging by the results I’ve had here — the previous four occasions of Wimbledon I won, and reaching the other semi-final — I do consider myself favourite.”
Those comments will make Sunday’s shock defeat even tougher to swallow from Djokovic’s perspective, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion took the result with his head held high and extended his congratulations to Alcaraz, who he hopes can be a game rival for the remainder of his career.
“I would hope [it marks the start of a rivalry], for my sake,” he said. “He’s going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don’t know how long I’ll be around. Yeah, I mean, let’s see. It’s only been three matches that we played against each other. Three really close matches. Two already this year in the latter stages of Grand Slams.
“Yeah, I hope we get to play at the US Open. Why not? I think it’s good for the sport, one and two in the world facing each other in a five-hour, five-set thriller. It couldn’t be better for our sport in general, so why not?”
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
