Novak Djokovic suffered his first loss on the Centre Court in the last 10 years as Spain's Carlos Alcaraz came from behind to win the Wimbledon 2023 final on Sunday, July 17. Alcaraz was shrugged off like dust by Djokovic in the first set before winning the second set 7-6 in a thriller. It was 2-2 after four sets before the Spaniard prevailed to win the final 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
It would have been the 8th Wimbledon and 24th Grand Slam title for Djokovic but the World No. 1 ranked Alcaraz proved to be too good for him on the day. It was an emotional moment for Djokovic, who has been bossing on grass for a decade. After the match, Djokovic addressed the entire court and tried his best to control his emotions. He was happy that his little son was smiling despite the result and the moment he mentioned him, he was on camera and started grinning more.
Seeing the visuals, the Serbian couldn't control his emotions and broke down. Amid tears, he could just utter, "I love you." He controlled his emotions before continuing.
Here's the video:
Djokovic heaped praise on Alcaraz saying that he has proven that he is the best player in the world while agreeing with the majoritarian view of the 20-year-old having the elements of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
“He's going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don't know how long I'll be around. Let's see. I didn't expect him to play so well this year on grass, but he's proven that he's the best player in the world, no doubt. He's playing some fantastic tennis on different surfaces and he deserves to be where he is.
“I think people have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa, and myself. I would agree with that. I think he's got basically the best of all three worlds,” Djokovic added.
Djokovic continued saying all the good things about Alcaraz as he mentioned that he hasn't played against a player like him saying that he has no apparent weaknesses and adaptability to all surfaces is his biggest strength.
“I haven't played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own obvious strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces," Djokovic further said.
