- Sunday, September 08, 2024
Djokovic saw his hopes of a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title ruthlessly brushed aside by the 21-year-old Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz
By: Shajil Kumar
NOVAK DJOKOVIC insists he will return to Wimbledon next year and attempt to clinch an eighth All England Club title despite a shattering defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s final.
Djokovic saw his hopes of a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title ruthlessly brushed aside by the 21-year-old Spanish star who had also defeated the Serb in last year’s championship match.
Even though the clock is ticking on Djokovic’s career, he said he will keep playing into 2025, when he will turn 38.
“As far as coming back here, I would love to. I don’t have anything else in my thoughts right now that this is my last Wimbledon,” he said after his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) loss.
“I don’t have any limitations in my mind. I still want to keep going and play as long as I feel like I can play on this high level.”
So far this season Djokovic has seen his Australian Open title pass to Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old Italian who has also taken his world number one ranking.
Alcaraz succeeded him as French Open champion in Paris last month, where Djokovic was forced to withdraw before his quarter-final due to a knee injury which then required surgery.
Djokovic is due to return to the French capital in under two weeks’ time, when he will try to win an elusive Olympic Games gold medal.
After that, he will attempt to defend his US Open title in New York.
“I have intentions to play the Olympic Games, hopefully have a chance to fight for a medal for my country,” he said.
“On a completely different surface (clay) obviously, going back to the place where I got injured some weeks ago. Let’s see how physically and mentally I’m going to feel.”
Despite the upbeat forecast on his future plans, Djokovic is enduring a sub-par year by his standards.
He is without a title since winning the ATP Finals in November last year and has yet to defeat a top-10 opponent in 2024.
On Sunday, he was out-hit by Alcaraz, who clubbed 42 winners to 26 and created 14 break points, five of which he converted.
“To beat these guys (Alcaraz and Sinner) in Grand Slam latter stages or the Olympics, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today,” admitted Djokovic.
“I’m going to work on it. It’s not something I haven’t experienced before ever in my life. I’ve had so many different experiences throughout my career. In the face of adversity, normally I rise and I learn and get stronger. That’s what I’m going to do.”
‘Sit at same table as big guys’
Alcaraz said he does not know his limit after overpowering Novak Djokovic on Sunday to win his second Wimbledon title but believes the Serb is still “Superman”.
The Spanish third seed collected the fourth Grand Slam of his young career and underlining a changing of the guard.
Alcaraz, who has won three of the past five majors, said he wanted to enjoy his “amazing journey so far” rather than look too far into the future.
“I really want to keep going, to keep improving, to keep growing up, try to keep winning. That’s all that matters for me right now,” he said.
“I don’t know what is my limit. I don’t want to think about it. I just want to keep enjoying my moment, just to keep dreaming.
“So let’s see if at the end of my career it’s going to be 25, 30, 15, four (Slams). I don’t know. All I want to say is I want to keep enjoying and let’s see what the future brings to me.”
Despite his staggering success at such a tender age, Alcaraz said it was more important where he finished.
“I want to sit at the same table as the big guys,” he said. “That’s my main goal. That’s my dream right now.”
Djokovic was aiming for record 25th major but struggled to get going against a man 16 years his junior on Centre Court, and Alcaraz said he took advantage of the veteran’s mistakes.
Alcaraz described the Serb as “Superman” before the tournament started and said he had no reason to change his mind, especially as Djokovic had surgery on his knee just last month.
“I’m still believing that Novak is Superman because what he has done this tournament with a surgery just a few weeks before the tournament began,” he said.
“It is amazing. It is unbelievable. Honestly, as I said on court, I was talking to my team that the work that Novak has done has been unbelievable.” (AFP)
