Novak Djokovic has revealed he was over his Wimbledon final loss in a day and admitted it is neither his first nor his last loss. Djokovic was beaten in a thrilling five-set contest by Carlos Alcaraz in the Championship final and was denied his 24th Major and eight Wimbledon crown.
The young Spaniard had played aggressively against the veteran Serbian and ended his 46 match-winning streak at SW19. Djokovic will now return to action in the Cincinnati Masters after pulling out of the Canadian Open due to fatigue.
“It’s not the first [nor] the last match that I lost, so I was over it in a day,” Djokovic said ahead of the Western & Southern Open. “Obviously, I needed some really good rest after that, and some time with my family, and that’s what I did. So, of course, I was regretting not using the chances during that final.
“I was [a] set up and had some set points in the second and I felt that I was close to being in the lead. And then, obviously, some break points in the fifth. It was a close match, but well deserved from his side, because to win he played better in the important moments, and that’s what I said after the final. I think he was a deserved winner and that’s it really, pretty much. You move on.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion added it is imperative to be motivated and keep going strong at the top level.
“I need to obviously move on and try to regroup and find motivation for what’s coming up, and all the challenges that are ahead of me, and that’s why I’m here,” Djokovic said.
“Otherwise, if I’m not motivated, I wouldn’t be here. Now, after many years of professional tennis, I feel like I have a choice to play what I really want to play. And I really wanted to be here in Cincinnati, and of course, [the] US Open [is] around the corner.”
Djokovic will begin his Cincinnati campaign against either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The Serbian is motivated to hit the ground running after his Wimbledon loss.
“I like the feeling that I have after 20 plus years of professional tennis. There’s still fire going,” Djokovic said. “There’s still that drive and motivation to really come at the biggest events in sport and try to win, try to win titles and try to bring some good sensation to the crowds.”
