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The matches between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are spectacular to watch. The last played, in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals in Turin, showed the greatest quality of the entire week at the year-end Master. In some moments, especially in the second set, the two played extraordinary tennis.
In the head-to-head, Djokovic leads 3-2, but there is one match in particular that needs to be analysed. Of the five matches played between them, Carlitos won the semi-final of the Mutua Madrid Open 2022 and the final of Wimbledon 2023.
Djokovic triumphed in the semi-final of the Roland Garros 2023, the final of Cincinnati and, indeed, the semi-final of Turin. Their matches were certainly the best of the season in terms of technique, quality, tactics and shots.
Monstrous performances. The Wimbledon final is a different matter. Djokovic dominated the first set, he also seemed in control in the second set, which was however won in a tie-break by Carlitos, also due to some unusual errors for Djokovic.
In retrospect, Djokovic's season was triumphant: consistent throughout the year, successful throughout the year, with the exception of the final at the Championships. Alcaraz, after Wimbledon, has dropped dramatically. Could it be that the Spaniard's victory in London was a coincidence? I have an opinion about it.
Djokovic lost in London because of himself, rather than Alcaraz. Not to take away any merit from the young Spaniard, who put in an extraordinary performance on the lawns of the All England Club. But, I am convinced that, if they replayed that final 9 more times, Djokovic would win them all.
So why did the Serbian lose that match? I believe due to the pressure of the event. Djokovic, by winning Wimbledon, would have equaled Roger Federer's record at the All England Club. He would have put himself in a dominant position heading into the Grand Slam, considering the dominance seen in New York, then.
The pressure of the event and the stakes must have played a bad joke on him too, who based his career on mental strength. That said, Alcaraz's merits in winning the Wimbledon final were clear. And the decline in the second part of the season is justifiable by the inexperience given by the young age.
And Juan Carlos Ferrero shares honest words about what happened in Turin
Going back in time, to the recently concluded ATP Finals, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero gave an interesting interview to Carrusel Deportivo in which he spoke about his athlete: "He's still 20 years old.
At a tennis level, on this type of surface , there is still something to do and mentally he needs to be a little more prepared. Novak, in this respect, has a lot of advantage over us. You have to work a lot but you have to get used to the fact that, if you play at such a high level, every week you need to win and play against the best: this brings you to the limit of mental fatigue, which is what happened at the end of the season .
In the end they are experiences from which he can learn a lot and improve for next time." The former Spanish tennis player continued by stating: “The experience in Turin ended with a very bad feeling, like feeling a little inferior, but I think that's a little far from reality.
We all know that Djokovic is the best of all time, he is in the best form right now and on indoor hard courts he is harder to beat."