With 24 Grand Slam titles, Novak Djokovic is the most prolific player in men’s tennis history. So it’s not often he finds himself in the position he was in on Sunday, standing at Centre Court to give what had the feel of a concession after falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final in five sets.
When asked to reflect on the road that led him to this result, Djokovic was a class act, looking back on his many memorable matches and offering deference to the 20-year-old phenom by paying an enormous compliment just moments after a heartbreaking defeat.
“I’ve been blessed with so many incredible matches throughout my career. This is just another one in the history books for me,” Djokovic said. “So I’m really, really grateful, even though, of course, I did not win today, but I lost to a better player and I have to congratulate him and move on stronger, hopefully.”
Classy words from the seven-time champion.
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 16, 2023
An emotional Novak Djokovic speaks after his #Wimbledon final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz... pic.twitter.com/Lvg980Sbn8
As ridiculous as it seems for anyone to be considered a better player than the sport’s all-time leader in Grand Slams, it was an apt description for the Spanish wunderkind, who was already the world’s No. 1-ranked player heading into Sunday’s match. The win made him the youngest Wimbledon champion since Boris Becker in 1985, and gives him two career Grand Slam titles.
While Djokovic was able to take the high road and keep perspective during his post-match interview, he admitted that it would still take some time to get over what was a thrilling but, ultimately, for him, grueling defeat.
“I will be, tomorrow morning, probably,” Djokovic said when asked if he still felt proud of his 2023 season in which he’s already won two majors. “Today, not so much. Obviously, a tough one to swallow when you are so close.”
