Novak Djokovic’s Cincinnati title has hurt Carlos Alcaraz badly claims Greg Rusedski

Carlos Alcaraz was seen in tears post the defeat.

Novak Djokovic’s Cincinnati title has hurt Carlos Alcaraz badly claims Greg Rusedski

Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz (Images via CNN, X)

Former Canadian tennis player Greg Rusedski has claimed that a defeat in the Cincinnati Masters final and that too against Novak Djokovic might have hurt Carlos Alcaraz badly. The Canadian also hailed Djokovic for staging one of the greatest comebacks. Notably, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz at the 2023 Cincinnati Open final 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 after a gripping three hours and 49 minutes.

The 36-year-old let out a loud roar and also ripped apart his shirt in celebration. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz was seen in tears. The 20-year-old found it hard to fathom that he had lost the match despite leading after the first set. This thrilling battle between Djokovic and Alcaraz drew quite a few reactions.

While Djokovic himself labeled it one of the toughest matches of his career and hailed Alcaraz for his fighting spirit, comparing the young Spaniard to Rafael Nadal; Greg Rusedski has heaped praise on Djokovic for staging a memorable comeback. The Canadian also feels that this defeat might have hurt Alcaraz mentally. 

“This is really really going to hurt Alcaraz. One of his most painful defeats as he was in full control of this match. That’s the greatest ever comeback that I’ve ever seen Djokovic make,” said Rusedski. 

Also Read: Coco Gauff comments on how Jessica Pegula inspired her win over Iga Swiatek which became her highlight during the Cincinnati Open title run

Will this defeat against Novak Djokovic really shatter Carlos Alcaraz?

Novak Djokovic Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic (L) Carlos Alcaraz (R) (Image via ATP)

Although Carlos Alcaraz might have let his emotions take over him after the loss at the hands of Novak Djokovic, the 20-year-old surely does not seem to be thinking about it much. While Alcaraz was in tears right after he lost the match, the young Spaniard recollected himself nicely and congratulated Djokovic for the win. 

Carlos Alcaraz also said that he has only learned from this defeat.“It’s amazing playing against you, sharing the court with you, learning from you,” Alcaraz told Djokovic during the trophy ceremony. “This match was really close, but I learned a lot from a champion like you. So, congratulations to you and your team.”

Meanwhile, Djokovic also echoed his words from the Wimbledon final where the Serbian had hailed Alcaraz for his bull mentality. The 36-year-old also said that he is enjoying this new rivalry. “This rivalry just gets better. It gets better and better,” Djokovic said.

Interestingly, the two players have met three times this year and Djokovic leads the head-to-head 2-1. Now, with the 2023 US Open set to kick off in a few days, Alcaraz will look to settle scores. In fact, the winner will have a lead in the overall H2H record.

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