Carlos Alcaraz has his say on Novak Djokovic’s historic US Open win

Kevin Palmer 11 Sep 2023 8:54 PM

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic's rivalry is the talk of tennis

Novak Djokovic cemented his status as the best player in tennis as he won the US Open in New York and his newest rival has joined the chorus of messages congratulating the Serbian legend.

The tennis world was hoping to see a rematch between Alcaraz and Djokovic, with the duo playing out a couple of epic matches at Wimbledon and Cincinnati that captured the imagination of a sporting world beyond tennis.

Yet Alcaraz fell one match short of booking a clash with Djokovic at the US Open, as he was beaten by Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.

Now Alcaraz has sent a message of congratulations to Djokovic and US Open women’s champion Coco Gauff, after a thrilling weekend of matches to complete the final Grand Slam tournament of 2023.

Posting a message on Instagram, Alcaraz sent his congratulations to his great rival with a message that read: Many congrats @djokernole.

Carlos Alcaraz congratulates Novak Djokovic on his US Open win

Djokovic spoke about his rivalry with Alcaraz in his final US Open press conference for this year, as he suggested the emergence of Alcaraz was a huge boost for tennis.

“It’s great for our sport that I have very good rivalries with Alcaraz, no doubt,” he stated.

“He’s such a refreshment for tennis, great player, amazing player, great guy as well.

“Collectively we all want more attention and interest going towards the tennis. The more people get involved with tennis in whatever shape or form, the better it is for all of us. But, look, in the end of the day, my goal was always, at the beginning of the season, to try to win all Grand Slams.”

When asked whether he no regrets losing the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz and missing out on a calendar Grand Slam, he gave a measured response.

“I would definitely sign right away the paper if somebody would tell me I would win three out of four and play Wimbledon finals,” he added.

“There is a little regret that I didn’t win that Wimbledon finals. But, look, at the end of the day, you know, I have so much more to be happier and content with than actually to regret something.

“I’m going to keep going. You know, I feel good in my own body. I still feel I got the support of my environment, of my team, of my family.

“Grand Slams, I have vocalized that in the last few years, have been always the highest goal and the priority of mine in the whole season. I don’t play as much in terms of other tournaments, so I try to, you know, prioritize my preparation so that I can peak in slams.

“These are the moments and these are the kind of emotions that I motivate myself with every single day when I’m not playing a tournament.

“Occasionally I find myself asking myself, why do I need this still at this stage after all I have done, you know? How long do I want to keep going? I do have these questions in my head, of course.

“But knowing that I play at such a high level still and I win the biggest tournaments in this sport, yeah, I don’t want to get rid of this sport or I don’t want to leave this sport if I’m still at the top, you know, if I’m still playing the way I’m playing.”

Djokovic is set to return to action quickly after his US Open win, as he is set to play for Serbia in the Davis Cup in Valencia this week.