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Novak Djokovic stated his Wimbledon last loss to Carlos Alcaraz was a “powerful one to swallow” however he’ll “transfer on”.
The feeling of lifting a runner-up trophy he had watched his opponents maintain prior to now 4 Wimbledons hit him laborious because the tears then flowed.
The mangled racquet subsequent to his chair was a reminder of the frustration he had taken out on the web submit after the important thing break of serve within the fifth set.
“It hurts,” he stated after an opportunity at record-equalling eighth title ended.
Djokovic, 36, had been looking for to draw stage with Roger Federer for males’s singles wins right here and with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam titles however got here up quick in opposition to 20-year-old world quantity one Alcaraz.
The Spaniard gained 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 to seal a second main title, beating Djokovic in sensible style on a Centre Court the place the Serb has dominated for therefore lengthy.
Not since 2013 had Djokovic misplaced on the All England Club’s important courtroom – when Andy Murray beat him for the title – and the Briton was within the crowd to see the Serb’s run ended.
“It’s a tricky one to swallow if you end up so shut,” he stated. “I misplaced to the higher participant and I’ve to congratulate him and transfer on.”
As he did on the 2021 US Open after a bid to win all 4 Grand Slams in a 12 months was ended by Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic turned tearful right here.
Addressing his younger son in his field, Djokovic coated his eyes as his voice broke whereas saying: “It’s good to see my son nonetheless there, nonetheless smiling. I really like you, thanks for supporting me and we will all have a giant hug, and love one another.”
Then addressing Alcaraz, who gained the US Open on laborious courts final 12 months and reached the French Open semi-finals this 12 months earlier than cramping hampered him in opposition to Djokovic, he stated: “I assumed I’d solely have bother with you on clay or laborious courtroom, not grass.”
Four years in the past Djokovic saved two match factors in opposition to fellow nice Federer in an exciting match and it could nicely have been this that he was pondering of when he stated: “I’ve gained some epic finals that I used to be very shut to dropping. Maybe that is type of a fair-and-square deal I suppose to lose a match like this for me right here.”
He nonetheless has loads of possibilities to chase information, with the US Open lower than two months away and providing his subsequent alternative of that twenty fourth main.
