Novak Djokovic won the Cincinnati Open in just under four hours, avenging his Wimbledon final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serb held off a match point in the second set before winning 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-4).
In last month’s Wimbledon final, top seed Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in five sets.
“The feeling that I have on the court reminds me a little bit of when I was facing Rafael Nadal when we were at our prime,” Djokovic said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever played too many matches like this in my life.”
Novak contrasted the exhausting triumph with his 2012 Australian Open final victory over Nadal, which lasted five hours and 53 minutes.
“Each point is a sprint. Each point represents a fight. You have to earn every single point, every single shot, regardless of the circumstances.” It’s incredible to be able to experience that on the court with him,” Djokovic added.
Despite his defeat, Alcaraz will retain his world number-one status in time to defend his US Open crown.
Djokovic, on the other hand, will return to the top of the rankings if he wins only one match at Flushing Meadows.
After winning his 23rd Grand Slam championship at the French Open, where he defeated Alcaraz in the semi-finals, the world number two surpassed Nadal on the all-time men’s major list.
Djokovic and Nadal have met 59 times in the last 17 years, but Alcaraz has only played Djokovic four times and is tied with the 36-year-old at 2-2.
“It’s amazing playing against you, sharing the court with you, and learning from you,” said Alcaraz, 20, after the loss in Ohio on Sunday.
“This was a close match, but I learned a lot from a champion like you.” So, once again, congrats to you and your team.”
Alcaraz found himself 5-3 down in the third set after losing out on a match chance in the second-set tie-break, but he saved two match opportunities to pull back to 5-4 before breaking Djokovic’s serve to square the set.
However, Djokovic won the tie-break 5-4 on Alcaraz’s serve before winning the following two points to triumph in three hours and 49 minutes—the longest best-of-three-sets final in ATP Tour history.
“This rivalry just gets better,” added Djokovic. “It keeps getting better. He’s a fantastic player. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s amazing for such a young guy to be so composed in crucial situations.
“Of course, three sets today, but nearly four hours.” You just have to bow down to a person like him. He plays with maturity and handles pressure admirably for a 20-year-old.
“We must remember how young he is. That is one of his most outstanding qualities.”
Both players will now travel to New York for the US Open, where Alcaraz will seek to defend a Grand Slam for the first time, while Djokovic returns after missing last year’s tournament due to his COVID vaccination status.
