Djokovic accepting of Alcaraz defeat: 'I don't think I could have done more'

Novak Djokovic walked onto Centre Court to face Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon on Sunday aiming to win a record-extending 25th major crown. Two hours and 30 minutes later the Serbian was left with a look of helplessness on his face after the Spaniard outplayed him to earn a straight-sets win.

“Just overall the way I felt on the court today against him, I was inferior on the court,” Djokovic said. “That's it. He was a better player. He played every single shot better than I did.

“I don't think I could have done something much more. Try to pump myself up maybe. Get the crowd involved. That's what was happening in the third. That got me going a little bit. He wasn't also allowing me to have many free points on my serve. He was reading the serve. He was playing with a lot of variety. I've never seen him serve that way, to be honest.”

Alcaraz improved to 3-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series and now holds a 2-0 record against Djokovic at the grass-court major.

Djokovic arrived in west London just fewer than three weeks ago having undergone knee surgery in early June. The Serbian is pleased he was able to be so competitive at Wimbledon.

“I did all I can to prepare myself for this match and this tournament in general,” Djokovic said. “If someone told me I would play Wimbledon finals three, four weeks ago, I would take it for sure. Where I was three, four weeks ago, where I am now.

“Of course, I do feel disappointed. It's a bitter taste to lose the finals the way I did today. It has to be a success at the end of the day with me and my team playing Wimbledon finals and losing to the best player of the tournament.”

Djokovic, who has earned seven Wimbledon crowns, first trained on grass six days before the tournament started on 1st July. The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings shared further insight into how his preparation was hampered in the lead-up to the event.

“My preparation for Wimbledon wasn't as I would have it normally, usually or commonly to prepare myself,” Djokovic said. “There was hindrance obviously because of the injury. I had to kind of create a hybrid program of training between the rehab, specific exercises for the knee, and the actual pre-Grand Slam fitness training and tennis training.

“That probably had an effect, particularly in the opening rounds. But as the tournament progressed, I felt better and better. I reached the finals. In some matches I played some really good tennis. Some matches I kind of battled my way through. Today I was just half a step behind him in every sense.”

Djokovic leaves west London holding a 23-7 record on the season. He is still searching for his first title and his first Top 10 win in 2024.

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