Djokovic, after losing the Wimbledon final to Alcaraz: "Today I felt inferior on the court"

Streaming ATP Miami live tennis

🎾 Francisco Comesana vs Shintaro Mochizuki

* You can watch and bet on this match live here..

Novak Djokovic did not have the result he would have liked in the final of Wimbledon after falling there for the second consecutive time against Carlos Alcaraz. However, the Serbian was very honest and acknowledged the great level of his opponent from start to finish. Nole explained in the press conference whether he could have done something better or what the differences were compared to the 2023 final. Thus, Djokovic also talked about the limitations after his knee operation and what his big goals will be for the remainder of the year.

- Would a different tactic have changed the course of the match?

"Honestly, I don't think so. You can always analyze the match afterwards and say, 'I could have done this or that,' but overall today I felt inferior on the court. That's it, he was a better player, he played every shot better than me, and I don't think I could have done anything more. I tried to pump myself up and engage the crowd, which happened in the third set and I got a bit fired up. However, he also didn't let me have many free points with my serve, he was reading it well and played with a lot of variety. I had never seen him serve like that. Maybe I missed something in this tournament, but I had never seen him serve that way, he must have had a great serving day in practice yesterday. Overall, he truly outplayed me."

- Differences from last year's final

"Last year, I felt better. I started 6-1 up, it was the first Wimbledon final for him and the ninth for me. I felt I had a better start, had set point, but missed a relatively easy backhand in the tie-break of the second set. Perhaps things could have turned out differently at the end of the match. I lost in an epic 5-setter where we went toe-to-toe, but this year none of that happened. It was all about him; he was a dominating force on the court and deserved to win."

- Very self-critical

"Carlos was truly better in all aspects of the game: in movement, in the incredible way he hits the ball, a great serve, everything. I did everything I could to prepare for this match and this tournament in general. If someone had told me three or four weeks ago that I would play the Wimbledon final, I wouldn't have believed it. Where I was 3 or 4 weeks ago and where I am now... Obviously, I am disappointed, it's a bitter taste to lose a final like this. In the end, it has to be a success for me and my team to be playing a Wimbledon final and losing to the best player of the tournament. That's all I can say. Of course, I can always be self-critical, and I actually am. I will always find flaws and things I could have done better, but I don't think that would change the outcome of the match much. From start to finish, you could see he was a step ahead of me in every aspect."

- Did the lack of preparation due to your knee problems affect you in today's match?

"It could be. Obviously, my preparation for Wimbledon has not been as I would normally do, as there have been obstacles due to the injury. I had to create a hybrid training program between rehabilitation, specific exercises for the knee, and tennis training prior to a Grand Slam. That had an effect in the early rounds, but as I progressed in the tournament, I started feeling better and better. In some matches, I had to fight back, but today I felt like I was half a step behind Carlos in every way. It's a reality that I have to accept, and hopefully things will go differently when I play against him again."

- Your major goals for the remainder of 2024

"The Olympic Games and the US Open are the two major goals for the rest of the year, and I hope to give my best there. Reaching the Wimbledon final is a great confidence boost, but I also feel that I am not currently at the level for a face-off with the best in the world right now, apart from Jannik, who are both the two best of the year by far. To have a chance against these guys in the later rounds of a Grand Slam or in the Olympics, I will have to play much better than today. I will work on it; it's not something I haven't experienced before, as I have had many different experiences throughout my career. In adversity, I usually grow, learn, and become stronger."

- On the Olympic Games and returning to Wimbledon

"I hope to have the opportunity to fight for a medal for my country. It will be on a completely different surface, returning to the place where I got injured a few weeks ago. We'll see how I feel physically and mentally, and hopefully I can find the right tennis because I will need all I have and more to reach the final of the Olympic Games. As for coming back here, I would love to. I have nothing else on my mind right now than this being my last Wimbledon. I am eager to play at least something. I have no limitations in my mind; I still want to keep playing as long as I feel I can play at a high level."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic, tras perder la final de Wimbledon ante Alcaraz: "Hoy me sentí inferior en la pista"