{"id":301960,"date":"2023-12-12T15:11:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T15:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/?p=301960"},"modified":"2023-12-12T15:11:55","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T15:11:55","slug":"novak-djokovic-explains-how-carlos-alcaraz-pd-me-off-as-rivalry-brews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstons.com\/tennis\/novak-djokovic-explains-how-carlos-alcaraz-pd-me-off-as-rivalry-brews\/","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic explains how Carlos Alcaraz ‘p****d me off’ as rivalry brews"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Novak Djokovic has admitted that Carlos Alcaraz p****d him off by ending his reign at Wimbledon. The Spaniard became the first man in a decade to beat the world No 1 on Centre Court during this year\u2019s final. But Djokovic responded by turning their rivalry on its head, barely losing a match for the rest of the year and beating Alcaraz twice.<\/p>\n

Djokovic suffered a defeat to Alcaraz during a thrilling five-set final at Wimbledon this summer, marking the first time since 2017 that he lost a match at SW19 and the first since 2013 that he failed to win on the main showcourt. The 20-year-old came through 1-6 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 to lift his second Grand Slam title, something that annoyed the Serb.<\/p>\n

A seven-time champion at Wimbledon, Djokovic has now told CBS 60 Minutes that Alcaraz\u2019s win \u201cpissed me off so much that I needed to win everything on American soil, which I did.\u201d The world No 1 went on a 19-match winning streak after the defeat, winning the Cincinnati Masters, the US Open and the Paris Masters.<\/p>\n

In Cincinnati he was able to get revenge over Alcaraz in another epic final, saving a championship point to come through 5-7 7-6(7) 7-6(4) after three hours and 48 minutes. He remained undefeated during the North American hard-court swing, winning a record 24th Grand Slam title in Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n

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Djokovic also beat Alcaraz in their most one-sided match in the semi-final of the ATP Finals, earning a dominant 6-3 6-2 victory. Reflecting on their rivalry, the 98-time title winner continued: \u201cIt’s a great opportunity for me to reinvent myself and really push harder than I ever did.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was also full of praise for his competitor, adding: \u201cHe’s as complete of a player as I have seen in ages.\u201d And Alcaraz isn\u2019t the only young player pushing Djokovic to keep improving at this stage of his career, as the 36-year-old confessed that the new generation brought out a \u201cbeast\u201d in him.<\/p>\n