A month after the Wimbledon final, Djokovic insists he has moved on: “I got over it in a day”

We left him with tears in his eyes as he spoke of his children during his defeat in the Wimbledon final. Novak Djokovic, the beaten finalist at the All England Club, returns to the United States for the first time since 2021, to play in the Cincinnati Masters 1000 (August 13-20). The Serb was absent because of rules regardiing compulsory vaccinations for non-resident travellers into the US, something he had decided to do without.

Praised for his fair play at the end of the final, the former No 1 was also full of praise for his tormentor Carlos Alcaraz and admitted that he had missed some important opportunities during the match. One month on, he insists he has moved on.

“It’s not the first or last match I’ve lost, so I got over it in a day,” he told reporters in Cincinnati, quoted on the ATP Tour website. “Obviously, I needed to rest and spend time with my family, and that’s what I did. But I’m sorry I didn’t take my chance in 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.”

CINCINNATI, THE BEST WAY TO… MOVE ON

Djokovic pulled out of the Toronto Masters, choosing to save himself for Cincinnati, where he hopes to hone his game for the US Open.

“Now, after many years of professional tennis, I feel like I have the 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 within reach,” he said. The Serb has already won this Masters 1000 twice, in 2018 and 2020 and is back after a two-year absence.

“It’s been two years since I’ve been to the United States. So, of course, I’m very excited and I couldn’t wait to come,” he said.

The 36-year-old has already been training on Centre Court, getting a taste of the American atmosphere again: “It’s really incredible. I’m very grateful that so many people are here for a training session, it’s incredible. Again, I’ve experienced some tournaments around the world with similar atmospheres in terms of crowds on the practice courts.”

All 👀’s on Djokovic#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/iKTKlY3JI8

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 13, 2023

Tough draw for Djokovic in Cincy

To put his Wimbledon final defeat behind him, which denied him another chance at winning the coveted calendar Grand Slam, Djokovic will face either Toronto semi-finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or French Open quarter-finalist Tomas Martin Etcheverry in his opening match.

“I like the feeling that I have after 20 plus years of professional tennis. There’s still fire going,” Djokovic said. “There’s still that drive and motivation to really come at the biggest events in sport and try to win, try to win titles and try to bring some good sensation to the crowds.”

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