Novak Djokovic compares his Cincinnati finals win over Carlos Alcaraz to his marathon 2012 Australian Open win against Rafael Nadal calling it his toughest ever

One of the toughest matches of my career- tennis great Novak Djokovic.

Novak Djokovic compares his Cincinnati finals win over Carlos Alcaraz to his marathon 2012 Australian Open win against Rafael Nadal calling it his toughest ever

Carlos Alcaraz (left), Rafael Nadal (middle) and Novak Djokovic (right) (Image via Eurosport)

The generation-defining rivalry between Novak Djokovic andCarlos Alcaraz produced yet another dramatic encounter, with Djokovic defeating the 16-year-younger opponent 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4) to earn his 39th Masters 1000 championship, making it the longest match in tournament history.

As expected, the match had many ups and downs, with viewers enjoying the most of it. Due to the heat, Djokovic wasn’t playing well at first, but later he changed his game, saved a match point, and ultimately won the match.

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Novak had to push himself to take the second set, and as the third set began at the crucial moment, Alcaraz tanked by not serving well, costing him the game. As a result, Novak won the third set. Djokovic tore apart his shirt in joy after winning the match, while Alcaraz was spotted in tears.

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During the post-match interview, Djokovic compared this victory to his triumph against Alcaraz in the finals of the Cincinnati Open and his grueling 2012 Australian Open victory over Rafael Nadal, calling it his toughest ever. 

He stated,“It’s a crazy match that we’ve been through today. Roller coaster of a match. I don’t think I’ve played too many matches like this in my life. Maybe I can compare it to [against] Nadal at the 2012 Australian Open that went the distance. Obviously three sets today, but almost four hours. One of the most exciting and toughest mentally, emotionally, physically matches that I’ve ever had in my career.”

Also Read: WATCH: Coco Gauff wins one of the most strange points this week in Cincinnati after nearly missing a sitter against Karolina Muchova in the finals

Next up for Novak Djokovic is the US Open

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (image via Sky Sports)

He has been playing quite well in recent weeks and has faced extremely difficult opponents. The victory marked Djokovic’s 95th career title and 39th Masters 1000 title. Djokovic will be looking forward to the US Open after his incredible run this week.

If he wins the US Open, he will have a total of 24 Grand Slams and will reclaim his rightful place as World No. 1. Djokovic has held the world No. 1 position for the most weeks, a record 389. Roger Federer, on the other hand, has a record 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1. It will be exciting to watch if Djokovic can continue on his dream journey.

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