"I'm not at that level" - Novak Djokovic puts himself a step behind Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner, vows to do 'much better' in Paris Olympics
Novak Djokovic lost a second consecutive Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz, going down 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) in the summit clash on Sunday (July 14). The Serb had lost in five sets at last year’s tournament.
The loss extended the 2024 title drought for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, who last lifted a trophy at the ATP Finals last November.
Addressing his Wimbledon final loss and overall form this season during his post-match press conference, Djokovic said reaching the summit clash at SW19 weeks after undergoing a procedure on his knee has boosted his confidence.
The Serb, however, was quick to acknowledge that he came up against the best player in the world currently in the form of Alcaraz.
“Being able to reach the final of Wimbledon gives a great confidence boost," Novak Djokovic said at the post-match press conference (at 8.40). "But I also feel like in a matchup today against the best player in the world right now for sure."
Elaborating, Djokovic said he does feel like he has not been at the level needed to beat both Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He added that he needs to play much better than he did in the Wimbledon final before vowing to put in the work leading up to the Paris Olympics and other big events.
"Other than [Jannik Sinner], both of them are the best this year by far… I feel like I’m not at that level," the Serb said (at 8.50). "In order to really have a chance to beat these guys in the Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m gonna have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today. I'm gonna work on it."
"In the face of adversity, I rise" - Novak Djokovic after Wimbledon loss to Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic is already looking to bounce back from the Wimbledon setback, saying it was not the first time that he has had to deal with a loss like this in his career.
The Serb said he normally does well in the face of adversity and was looking to learn from his losses and come back stronger.
"It’s not something I haven’t experienced before ever in my life... in the face of adversity, normally I rise, I learn and get stronger. That’s what I’m going to do,” Novak Djokovic said.
Djokovic did show some resistance in the third set of the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz, saving three championship points when he was down 4-5. However, he was unable to build on the momentum and lost the set in a tiebreaker.