Novak Djokovic says he is “not at that level” after falling to a chastening defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles Wimbledon final.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner looked almost helpless as Alcaraz powered to a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win – his second straight victory over Djokovic in the SW19 showpiece.
It is another result that marks a changing of the guard in men’s tennis.
Between them, 21-year-old Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, 22, have won all three of this year’s Grand Slam tournaments.
“Both of them are the best this year by far, I feel like I’m not at that level,” said 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic.
“In order to really have a chance to, I guess, beat these guys in Grand Slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today and feel much better than I did today.”
Yet to win a title this year, it has been Djokovic’s worst start to a season since 2006.
The 37-year-old was outplayed by Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, with the young Spaniard reeling off deft drop shots, hefty serves and thunderous forehand winners.
“Just overall the way I felt on the court today against him, I was inferior on the court,” Djokovic said in his news conference.
“That’s it. He was a better player. He played every single shot better than I did.”