Novak Djokovic smashes racquet in frustration against net post during Carlos Alcaraz clash in Wimbledon final
Novak Djokovic lost his cool during the 2023 Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday and smashed his racket after losing a game in the final set.
The Serb started the match strongly and dominated the opening set to win it 6-1. However, Alcaraz bounced back in the second set and took it via a tiebreak to level the match.
The Spaniard then dominated the third set and won it 6-1 to take the lead. Djokovic broke twice in the fourth set and won it 6-3 to force the match into a decider.
The Serb had a break point during the second game of the final game but was unable to convert it and Alcaraz eventually took it to level the score at 1-1. Afterward, Djokovic smashed his racket against the post of the net in frustration.
He received a conduct violation warning for the same.
Not happy Djokovic
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Novak Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final
Novak Djokovic was unable to defend his title at Wimbledon as Carlos Alcaraz beat him 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to win his second Grand Slam title.
The defeat is the Serb's first at Centre Court since losing to Andy Murray in the 2013 final. It's also only the second time he lost a Major title clash in five sets, having previously been beaten by Murray in the 2012 US Open final.
The 36-year-old's hopes for a Calendar Slam are also dashed, as are his chances of reclaiming the World No. 1 ranking.
The defeat at Wimbledon is only Djokovic's fifth defeat of the 2023 season. He has won 33 out of 38 matches, winning three titles. The 36-year-old won the Australian Open and the French Open while also claiming the Adelaide International at the start of the year.
Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, has 47 wins out of 51 matches so far in 2023, with six titles to his name. Apart from Wimbledon, the Spaniard also won two Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Madrid. He also triumphed at the Barcelona Open, the Cinch Championships, and the Argentina Open.
Alcaraz is next scheduled to compete at the Hopman Cup in Nice. It will be interesting to see whether he participates or withdraws from the tournament following a tedious grass-court season.
It's yet to be seen what Novak Djokovic's next tournament will be following his Wimbledon final defeat.