Novak Djokovic revealed that he was expecting Carlos Alcaraz to give up at 5-3 to give him match points.
The Cincinnati final was arguably the most thrilling of the year, featuring a three-hour and fifty-minute battle between the world No. 1 and world No. 2, with both players saving numerous match points.
Djokovic led 5-3 in the third set, and Alcaraz had to serve. Djokovic had two match points, but Alcaraz didn't give up and secured the game, allowing Djokovic the opportunity, this time on his serve, to close the match.
Once again, Alcaraz saved two match points against him and ultimately pushed the match to a tie-break, where 'Nole' stood strong and claimed his third title at the Cincinnati Open.
In a press conference, the world No. 2 shared his feelings during the challenging moments of the match's finale:
“In the 3rd set, I thought I played well, plenty of chances to break his serve, every single time & that match point at 5-3. I was like, man, come on, give up. You know, give me this ball. You know what I mean? He just gets so many balls back,” 23-time Grand Slam chmpioin said.
With Djokovic's victory, he leveled the H2H with Alcaraz at 2-2, with the Serbian winning in the French Open semifinal and now in the Cincinnati final.
Alcaraz's triumphs came in the 2022 Madrid Open semifinal and the Wimbledon final, where he clinched his second Grand Slam title.
Both players are taking this week to rest and prepare for their next challenge at the US Open, starting on Monday, August 28th. They are the top two seeds, which means they could potentially face each other in the final.
Apart from chasing another Grand Slam victory, both are vying for the world No. 1 ranking. With just a 20-point difference in the live rankings, the margin is minimal. Alcaraz needs to defend his 2000 points from winning the title last year; otherwise, he will lose the top spot.
Novak Djokovic was wanting Carlos Alcaraz to give up on match point at 5-3: “In the 3rd set, I thought I played well, plenty of chances to break his serve, every single time & that match point at 5-3. I was like, man, come on, give up. You know, give me this ball. You know what…
