Following the heart-rending defeat in the Wimbledon final exactly a month back, against Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic took his time off the tour. As the ATP field moved on from the hangover from the grass court season to gearing up for the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year, Djokovic remained absent to spend some time with his family. But the Serb is all set to return in to action in Cincinnati Masters, with his campaign opener on Wednesday, and ahead of his first match, Djokovic was asked to revisit that painful loss in London.
Speaking to the press in Ohio on Sunday, Djokovic admitted that while he let go of the disappointment of having lost the final, he did regret not taking chances against Alcaraz in final set. He however did praise the Spaniard, hailing him as a worthy champion.
“It’s not the first [nor] the last match that I lost, so I was over it in a day,” Djokovic said ahead of the Western & Southern Open. “Obviously, I needed some really good rest after that, and some time with my family, and that’s what I did. So, of course, I was regretting not using the chances during that final.
“I was [a] set up and had some set points in the second and I felt that I was close to being in the lead. And then, obviously, some break points in the fifth. It was a close match, but well deserved from his side, because to win he played better in the important moments, and that’s what I said after the final. I think he was a deserved winner and that’s it really, pretty much. You move on.”
Novak Djokovic all set for US Open return
Djokovic had stood on the doorstep of an Open Era record. While the conversation largely centered around the possibility of him equalling Roger Federer’s record tally of eight Wimbledon titles, the win could have seen Djokovic become the first man or woman to claim a 24th Major in Open Era, going past the legendary Serena Williams. However, Djokovic, who bagged the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year, remains confident and motivated to achieve the same in US Open.
“I need to obviously move on and try to regroup and find motivation for what’s coming up, and all the challenges that are ahead of me, and that’s why I’m here,” Djokovic said. “Otherwise, if I’m not motivated, I wouldn’t be here. Now, after many years of professional tennis, I feel like I have a choice to play what I really want to play. And I really wanted to be here in Cincinnati, and of course, [the] US Open [is] around the corner.”
This will be Djokovic’s first appearance at Cincinnati Masters since his title-winning run in 2019 and 15th overall. He holds a 40-12 record in the event with two trophies (2019 and 2017), seven runs to the final.
“A lot of family time, resting and preparation for the tournaments here on American soil. It’s been two years since I was last in America. So, of course, I’m very excited and was very much looking forward to coming,” Djokovic said. “I haven’t been in Cincinnati since 2019, so nice to be back. Lots of young fans that I’ve seen the last couple of days on the practice courts, which is always great to see and people love their tennis.”
Djokovic will be kicking off his campaign on Wednesday when he faces the winner of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
