Novak Djokovic has admitted his brutal defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the 2023 Wimbledon final was “good” because it motivated him for the remainder of the season.
The great Serbian believes there is “always a reason” for all the “great finals” he has lost and highlighted the fact he has “won everything” since Wimbledon, barring one match at the ATP Finals.
The loss ended Djokovic’s remarkable 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon and marked his first defeat in a completed match at the All England Club since 2016.
It was the only match the world No 1 lost in a Major tournament this year, with the 36-year-old securing the Australian Open, French Open and US Open titles.
Following Wimbledon, Djokovic won all four tournaments he entered and suffered just one defeat – to Jannik Sinner in the group stage of the ATP Finals last week.
In an interview with Marca, Djokovic was asked about the fact world No 2 Alcaraz was the only player to defeat him in a Grand Slam this year.
“It would be a question for Carlos, but I have no pangs of conscience. I try to look ahead and in all the great finals that I have lost there is always a reason. I try to learn from it and the experience of losing a Grand Slam final motivates me even more,” explained the Serbian.
“I lost at Wimbledon and since then I have won everything except for the match with Sinner in the group stage in Turin. If I analyse the year, I could say that it was good to lose to Carlos because it motivated me for the rest of the season.”
It was also put to Djokovic that Alcaraz’s coach – Juan Carlos Ferrero – suggested his pupil could learn from his professionalism and dedication.
“It is obvious that he has helped Alcaraz a lot not only to achieve success but also to maintain humility and a champion’s mentality. Thanks to Juan Carlos and his family’s upbringing, he is more mature than his age suggests.
“He is only 20 years old, but on the track he behaves like someone who has a lot of experience and maturity.”
