Red-faced Novak Djokovic leaves Eugenie Bouchard amazed after silencing Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic on the importance of routines
Novak Djokovic’s stunning win over Carlos Alcaraz left former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard in awe. The Canadian tennis star took to social media on Sunday night to shower Djokovic with praise for avenging his defeat at SW19 earlier this summer.
The rivalry between Djokovic and Alcaraz went up a notch at the All England Club, with the Spaniard winning his second Grand Slam title via a five-set victory over the Serb in the final.
Fans were therefore chomping at the bit when both players made their way through to the final at the Cincinnati Open. Alcaraz took the first set and had championship point in the second, before Djokovic fought back to win 5-7 7-6 7-6 on Sunday night.
Pointing out the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s ‘red face’ as he powered through the exhausting contest, Bouchard wrote on Instagram: “I can’t believe he came back to win.
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“He didn’t look too good in the second [set], [his] face was red, I thought he would retire [from the match]. This is truly unbelievable. He pushed himself to human limits in sports.”
Djokovic himself admitted that his win over Alcaraz took everything he had, revealing after the showdown: “It was one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played in my life.
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“Unbelievable, from the beginning to the end. So many ups and downs, incredible points, heat strokes, coming back. Overall one of the most exciting matches I’ve ever been a part of. These are the moments I live for. I work for this.”
The morale-boosting win leaves Djokovic in a perfect position to add to his Grand Slam haul at the US Open next month. The 36-year-old has prevailed at Flushing Meadows on three prior occasions, most recently in 2018.
And he will have plenty of incentive to bring his A-game, with Alcaraz the defending champion. Djokovic currently stands alone at the top of the men’s all-time Grand Slam charts, and Bouchard called him the greatest player of all time after watching his French Open triumph back in June.
“I’m the biggest Roger [Federer] fan but we all have to admit Novak is the undisputed GOAT,” she wrote on X. “Insanely impressive.”
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