Carlos Alcaraz lost a tough semifinal at the French Open to Novak Djokovic when his chances were completely shattered by cramps. During the press conference that followed the match, the Spanish sensation was asked to comment on Novak’s behavior.
A Spanish Reporter asked: “Did Novak’s long bathroom break after the 2nd set influence you at the beginning of the 3rd set? Also, would you have celebrated like Novak did after winning back-to-back 11 games against an injured player with fist pumps or shouting out the points?”
Alcaraz replied: “Many people may want to create controversy and claim that Novak went to the bathroom to stop the game or break rhythm, but no, not in my case. I don’t believe it influenced anything. The stress from the first game of the match carried over into the second set, and the physical demands Novak placed on me had an impact. Ultimately, I couldn’t hold on physically.”
Then Carlitos added: “As for your second question, I don’t blame him for anything. He had to close the match. It’s challenging to play against someone who isn’t at 100%. While they may experience a downturn, you can’t afford to have that downturn and instead must find a way to close the match. Clenching your fists helps maintain intensity and allows you to close the match as quickly as possible. I don’t blame Djokovic for doing that. The truth is, if I were facing someone who was injured or not playing at their best, and I experienced a slump, I would likely do the same. Closing a match is never easy.”
Carlos Alcaraz in 2023
WWWWWWWWWW Now the world no.1, Carlos played his last match on the 9th of June when he was overcome by world no.3 Novak Djokovic 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 in the semifinal of the French Open (draw).
During this season Carlos has achieved an overall 35-4 record. Alcaraz conquered 4 titles in 2023 in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona and Madrid. Alcaraz was the finalist in Rio de Janeiro.
He is also scheduled to play in Wimbledon (Wimbledon). The main draw will start on the 3rd of July.
Djokovic at the French Open, ranking, and results in 2023
WWLWWWWWWW Currently the world no.3, Novak owns a 26-4 record in 2023. Djokovic is playing at the moment at the French Open where he defeated the world no.114 Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3 6-2 7-61, the world no.83 Marton Fucsovics 7-62 6-0 6-3, the world no.34 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-64 7-65 6-2, the world no.94 Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3 6-2 6-2, the world no.11 Karen Khachanov 4-6 7-60 6-2 6-4 and the world no.1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1.
Novak Djokovic will play the world no.4 Casper Ruud in the final. Their head to head is 4-0 for Djokovic.
Novak has won 2 titles in 2023 in Adelaide and Australian Open.
Djokovic won 93 titles in his career: 50 on hard courts, 18 on clay courts, 17 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Djokovic will compete next at the Wimbledon (Wimbledon). He will begin to play the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 3rd of July.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic squared off just twice. Their current head to head is 1-1. Previously, the last time they locked horns, Novak Djokovic won 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1 in the semifinal in Paris (French Open) on the 9th of June 2023.
In the video below you can watch the highlights.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjbWqtnAbxY
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic |
| Embed from Getty Images |
