Novak Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi -finals of the US Open (American expansion) and the legend of tennis John Mcenroe frankly praised the reaction of the Serbian tennis player before this defeat.
The 38-year-old player missed the opportunity to reach the US Open final after losing to Carlos Alcaraz with a score of 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 on September 5. Thus, Djokovic failed in the semi -finals of all four Grand Slam this year when he was pursuing the 25th Grand Slam title.
The Serbian player currently holds the male Grand Slam championship record, but another victory will help him break the opening era record that he is currently sharing with Margaret Court. Djokovic has not won any Grand Slam since the US Open championship two years ago, coinciding with the time when Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner emerged as the top players in the world.
However, McEnroe emphasized Djokovic's behavior after the match after Alcaraz won the US Open final. “He does not lose much, but always very elegant whenever he lost. He always gave the opponent the highest respect. It is clear that Alcaraz is a formidable opponent,” McEnroe pressed the network on ESPN.
In fact, Alcaraz has lost to Djokovic in the last two matches in this year's expansion and the Summer Olympics 2024, but the Spanish player had previously won the two Wimbledon finals in a row of the same opponent. Since Nole's latest victory in the expanded American tournament, Alcaraz or Sinner has won in the last seven major tournaments, and the tennis legend has respected both when speaking after the match.
“Losing a tennis game is never fun, but at the same time, if I have to lose to someone, I will lose to these two opponents. I know they are playing better at the present time. You just need to praise them and say, 'so good'. That's enough,” Djokovic shared about Alcaraz and Sinner.
Djokovic showed his endurance against Alcaraz, but he himself admitted that he had a physical difficulty compared to the young opponent after the second set. And when asked about the possibility that Djokovic would end his illustrious career, McEnroe admitted: “I don't know anymore. It all depends on him. In a way, I will not be surprised if he guarded the racket. But I would be surprised if he tried to play another year.”
Besides, McEnroe also emphasized that Nole is still the third best player in the world this year. “After that talented duo, it is definitely Nole. He is like that. So we hear the applause. It is great. Nole deserves such praise.” McEnroe said.
In addition, McEnroe also said that the felt ball village in the coming years will be the communication of the duo Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. “They are amazing. How fast they dominated the match. What would we do? No Federer, no Nadal. And not Nole.