‘I was over it’: Novak Djokovic reflects on making peace with his recent Wimbledon loss

As the dust begins to settle on Novak Djokovic’s unexpected loss at this year’s Wimbledon finals, the 36-year-old has candidly shared his journey of moving on from the defeat.

In a hard-fought final at the All England Club on Sunday, July 16, 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz delivered a remarkable comeback performance to halt Djokovic’s historic 34-match winning streak and claim victory at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz clinched a thrilling 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win over Djokovic in a gruelling four-hour, 42-minute battle, capturing his maiden Wimbledon championship and second Grand Slam trophy overall.

Alcaraz, currently ranked No. 1 in the world, not only denied Djokovic a record-tying eighth Wimbledon title but also prevented the Serbian legend from securing his 24th career major.

A new name. A new reign. ????????@carlosalcaraz, your 2023 Gentlemen’s Singles champion#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3KNlRTOPhx

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 16, 2023

Despite the sting of defeat and his impressive winning streak coming to an end, Djokovic recently revealed how he swiftly moved on from the loss.

“Of course, I was regretting not using the chances during 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,” Djokovic told ATP.

“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.

“It’s neither the first nor the last match that I lost, so I was over it in a day. I needed some really good rest after that, and some time with my family, and that’s what I did.”

After deciding not to participate in the National Bank Open in Toronto, Djokovic likely took some time to process the loss and recover. He announced his decision to take some time away from the court in a statement on Sunday, July 23.

“I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take,” Djokovic said.

“I really hope I can return to Canada and Toronto in the coming years to play in front of great fans there.”

After his short break, Djokovic is set to return to the court for this week’s Cincinnati Masters.

Djokovic is set to kick off his Cincinnati campaign facing either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Tomas Martin Etcheverry and revealed to reporters that he is “very excited” for his return.

“It’s been two years since I was last in America. So, of course, I’m very excited and was very much looking forward to coming,” Djokovic said.

“I haven’t been in Cincinnati since 2019, so nice to be back. Lots of young fans that I’ve seen the last couple of days on the practice courts, which is always great to see and people love their tennis.”