Carlos Alcaraz was left 'crying and hurt' by Novak Djokovic as star addresses dry spell

Carlos Alcaraz has confessed that he was left in tears when he lost to Novak Djokovic at the ATP Finals. Their semi-final clash was their most one-sided match yet, with the Spaniard going out in straight sets. Meanwhile, Alcaraz is still looking for his first title since beating Djokovic at Wimbledon last year and the 20-year-old has addressed the mounting pressure as his dry spell without a trophy continues.

After an incredible start to 2023, Alcaraz has failed to live up to his lofty expectations. The world No. 2 lifted six titles in the first seven months of last year but has not even reached a final since August. He suffered three successive defeats in Autumn, spanning the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and ATP Finals.

Thanks to the nature of the ATP Finals, Alcaraz remained in the competition and managed to reach the semi-final. But he ended the season on a sour note with a heavy 6-3 6-2 defeat to Djokovic. It was the first time one of their meetings ended in straight sets, and the two-time Grand Slam champion has now opened up about how much the result hurt him.

There have been several defeats that have hurt me, such as those of [Alexander] Zverev and Djokovic in the ATP Finals and [Nicolas] Jarry’s last one in Buenos Aires,” Alcaraz added, referencing his latest defeat in the semi-final of the Argentina Open.

The loss to Jarry was Alcaraz’s most recent completed match, as he was forced to retire just two games into his opener at this week’s Rio Open. The 20-year-old fell on his ankle during the second point and stopped playing at 1-1. He has since confirmed that he suffered a grade II lateral sprain.