Voice_Djokovic: I Was Under Pressure, Alcaraz Was Superior Throughout

On July 14th, local time, Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, lost in straight sets to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon men’s singles final, failing to avenge his defeat in last year’s final.

Djokovic was unrelenting in listing the reasons for his loss. “I was under pressure on court, Alcaraz was the superior player throughout, outplaying me with every shot.”

 ”Last year, I lost a five-set thriller, it was a close contest; but this year, it was nothing like that. He dominated on court and deserved to win,” Djokovic added. “The tone was set from the first game, I felt he was ready to fight as soon as he stepped onto the court, immediately playing at his best level. Last year, the situation was that I had a better start, easily winning the first set. Today, right from the first point, he was prepared.”

“He outperformed me in every aspect of the game: movement, striking, serving… losing the final in such a way today is bitter.”

Djokovic had invested a tremendous amount of energy and preparation into these two weeks. Just 39 days before the final, he underwent surgery on his right knee, praying that he could make it through the recovery phase to compete for his 8th Wimbledon title and his 25th Grand Slam, but it wasn’t to be.

“Of course, my preparations were different than usual. Due to the injury, I had to develop a hybrid training plan, including rehabilitation exercises, specific knee workouts, as well as actual physical conditioning and tennis training.”

“It had an impact, especially in the early rounds where I faced some tough battles. As the tournament progressed, I felt better and better. But today, it was evident from the start that he was at least half a step ahead of me in every aspect.”

At the award ceremony, when thanking his team, Djokovic concluded with, “Let’s keep moving forward.” Clearly, Djokovic’s ambition remains unwavering.

In two weeks, the quadrennial Olympics will kick off in Paris, and Djokovic hopes to capture the elusive singles gold medal on the clay courts of Roland Garros, followed by defending his US Open title. “I hope I can perform at my best in these two tournaments, hoping for an opportunity to win a medal for my country. But I have to play better than I did today. Alcaraz and Sinner are the best players this year, I’m not at that level yet.”

“I’ll work hard, I’ve been in this situation before. In the face of adversity, I usually rise up, learn, and become stronger, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“Let’s see how I feel physically and mentally, hopefully, I can regain good form because I need to give it my all, even more so to reach the Olympic final.”

“As for returning to Wimbledon again, I certainly want to, I haven’t thought about this being my last Wimbledon. There are no limits in my mind, as long as I can maintain a high level, I want to continue playing.”