Tennis legend John McEnroe has praised Novak Djokovic’s reaction to his defeat at the US Open. The 38-year-old missed out on a place in the US Open final after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 on Friday.
Djokovic has fallen at the semi-final stage in all four grand slams this year as he chases his 25th major title. The Serbian already holds the men’s record for major championship titles but another triumph would separate him from the Open Era record he currently shares with Margaret Court. Djokovic has not won a grand slam since clinching the US Open two years ago, coinciding with the rise of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. However, McEnroe highlighted Djokovic’s post-match behaviour after Alcaraz claimed his place in the US Open final.
“He doesn’t lose much, but he’s always been gracious enough when he does,” McEnroe said on ESPN, as per Tennis Head. “He always gives the players their due. But this is an incredible challenger [Alcaraz].”
Alcaraz had lost his last two matches against Djokovic at this year’s Australian Open and the 2024 Olympics, but the Spaniard previously won back-to-back Wimbledon finals against the same opponent. Since Djokovic’s last US Open triumph, either Alcaraz or Sinner have won the last seven majors, and the tennis icon was respectful of both men when speaking post-match.
“It’s never fun losing a tennis match, but at the same time, if I’m to lose to someone, I would lose to these two guys,” Djokovic said of Alcaraz and Sinner. “I know that they are just better at the moment. You just have to hand it to them and say, ‘Well done.’”
Djokovic showed his enduring quality against Alcaraz but, by his own admission, struggled to physically match his young rival beyond the second set. This prompted McEnroe to be asked about the chances of Djokovic calling time on his illustrious career.
“I don’t know. It’s all up to him,“ McEnroe admitted. “In a way, I wouldn’t be surprised if he stopped. But I would be surprised if he tried to go one more year. That would be my bet.
“He’s been the third-best player in the world this year. That’s what he was. So we hear the applause. That’s nice. But these guys have separated themselves. These two [Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner], it’s incredible. How quickly they’ve just dominated the game. What are we gonna do? No Federer, Nadal. Then these two come along.”
To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or tennis newsletter
Alcaraz will face world No.1 Sinner in the US Open final on Sunday after the Italian earned a four-set victory over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime. They are set to make history as the first men’s pair to compete in three of the four major finals in the same season, and Djokovic gave an honest assessment of how he compares to the sport’s new top stars.
“I lost three out of four Slams in semis against these guys, so they’re just too good, playing on a really high level,” Djokovic said. “Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set [against Alacaraz]. I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets. After that I was gassed out, and he kept going.
“That’s kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik. Yeah, best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them, particularly if it’s the end stages of the Grand Slam.”
Djokovic battled with the physical strain of competing at the US Open and is aware that it will continue to take a toll in the final stages of his career. “I’m happy with my level of tennis, but it’s just the physicality of it,” Djokovic told reporters.
“As I said after the quarter-finals, the press conference when I spoke to you guys, I said I’m going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it’s needed. But it wasn’t enough. That’s something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can’t control.”
Despite facing an uphill battle to defeat Alcaraz and Sinner over five sets, the 24-time major champion is not prepared to give up. “I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least. But it’s going to be a very difficult task,” Djokovic said.