John McEnroe identifies the moment Novak Djokovic flattened Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz appeared to have found a way to halt Novak Djokovic’s dominance of the men’s game when he beat him in last year’s Wimbledon final, but tennis legend John McEnroe believes another contest between the game’s top two players may have been more significant last year.

Alcaraz was the only player to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam event in 2023, as his thrilling win in the Wimbledon final win last July sent shockwaves through the tennis world.

Yet former world No 1 McEnroe believes Djokovic’s most significant win against Alcaraz may have come in their next match, as he found a way to win when he was on the brink of defeat in the Cincinnati Masters final.

Alcaraz was in tears after he lost that epic contest against Djokovic and McEnroe has told Eurosport that the Cincinnati battle has a big impact on the Spaniard for the rest of the year.

“He played one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen when he beat Novak at Wimbledon and was on an incredible high. After that in Cincinnati he looked flat, physically spent and didn’t look himself,” said McEnroe.

“He’s 20 years old and I think he needed to get away, not needing matches. Everyone including myself loves Carlos and the joy he brings to the court so the fans will love him out there.”

McEnroe went on to suggest Alcaraz’s attacking brand of tennis is the only way to play the sport in the modern game, with his power hitting from the back and variety unlocking the door to beating Djokovic

READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios reveals his surprisingly close relationship with Novak Djokovic

“I think there are a lot of players out there now going big and trying to make things happen; that’s the style of play,” added McEnroe.

“The difference with Carlos Alcaraz is twofold: one, he’s one of the best volleyers I’ve seen, he’s very skilled at the net and loves to move forward. There’s hope! Me and Tim loved to serve and volley; that’s a dying breed. To see him doing this is absolutely amazing.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of young players try to emulate Carlos and even some veterans, actually. He says this is his best quality – his smile.

“How in the world can he go through what he goes through; the tension in a big match, and the pressure that you put on yourself and others put on you, and go out there and have this big smile on his face and be able to brush off negative things is, to me, the greatest quality he’s got. That’s even more difficult to emulate.”

Alcaraz was satisfied with his win against Gasquet as he confirmed he is still finding his feet on the court after his first competitive match of 2024.

“I need to get used to the competition again,” he told Eurosport’s Barbara Schett.

“And it’s not easy to start a tournament, it’s a bit more complicated if I haven’t played since two months ago.

“The first set was difficult for me, but every set I played better and better until the last set, and I ended the match playing at a good level.

“I try to smile all the time. Obviously there are times when it’s tough to do [so]. The pressure is there, and in those moments, it’s tough to enjoy playing.

“But I have my team, and when I’m struggling, I look up to them and they put a smile on my face, trying to bring the joy again. That’s the key of my game, that’s why I’m playing good tennis.”