Novak Djokovic left red-faced after Alcaraz gives brutal reality check over 'arrogant' Wimbledon final remark
Djokovic was left red-faced after Alcaraz gave him a brutal reality check, not with the defeat, but for an "arrogant" remark he made heading into the final.
How many did give Carlos Alcaraz a chance in the Wimbledon final? The odds were against him throughout the contest - Novak Djokovic's unrivalled legacy at the SW19, his towering numbers in Grand Slam history, the experience of having played a record 34 Major finals before and the result in their recent Roland Garros meeting last month. Even Djokovic knew that his name was already inscribed on that trophy for the record-equalling eighth time. He would have probably even had his special '24' jacket ready, implying his new Slam tally. But the Serb was rather left red-faced after Alcaraz gave him a brutal reality check, not with the defeat, but for an "arrogant" remark he made heading into the final.
All through the 2023 Championships Djokovic kept adding to his Wimbledon numbers, as he took his wining streak on Centre Court to 45, at Wimbledon to 34 and in Grand Slams to 27. The numbers left no doubt in the minds of the viewers that Djokovic was in for another routine win in the final. In fact even the Serb himself was supremely confident of the victory.
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"I think any tennis player wants to be in a position where everyone wants to win against you on the court," the 36-year-old has said after his win over Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinal. "It is a privilege. Pressure is part of what we do, it is part of our sport. It’s never going to go away, regardless of how many Grand Slams you win or how many matches you won or how many years that you’re playing professionally on the tour. I know that [my rivals] want to get a scalp, they want to win, but it ain’t happening."
Later that same evening, when he took to the press conference, Djokovic reiterated his views when asked if he truly considered himself the top favourite for the trophy. "I don’t want to sound arrogant, but of course I would consider myself favourite," he responded. "Judging by the results I’ve had here — the previous four occasions of Wimbledon I won, and reaching the other semi-final — I do consider myself favourite."
A few nights later, Djokovic was left stunned by Alcaraz, who bounced back from a horror 1-6 loss in the opening set to end Djokovic's streak of wins in tie-breakers and later his reign at Wimbledon in the final.
Djokovic aims for a 4th meeting
It was definitely a tough pill to swallow for Djokovic, but the Serb is already looking forward to a meeting at the US Open, where Alcaraz will be heading as the defending champion, having win in 2022.
"I would hope [it marks the start of a rivalry], for my sake," he said. "He's going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don't know how long I'll be around. Yeah, I mean, let's see. It's only been three matches that we played against each other. Three really close matches. Two already this year in the latter stages of Grand Slams.
"Yeah, I hope we get to play at the US Open. Why not? I think it's good for the sport, one and two in the world facing each other in a five-hour, five-set thriller. It couldn't be better for our sport in general, so why not?"