Novak Djokovic rips his jersey after beating world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz to win the Western & Southern Open in a three-set thriller and retaliate for the Wimbledon final after returning to the United States
- Alcaraz had defeated Djokovic last month and won the final at Wimbledon
- During the match in Cincinnati, players struggled with intense heat and humidity
- offers the latest international sports news
Novak Djokovic overcame a match point and an intense heat to beat world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 5-7 7-6(7) 7-6(4) and win the Western & Southern Open in a heartbreaking match win on Sunday.
Djokovic collapsed on his back before removing his shirt after claiming victory in the nearly four-hour battle to win his third title in Cincinnati and avenge his loss to the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final last month .
The Serb seemed hampered by the heavy humidity at the end of the first set as he barely moved as Alcaraz smashed a backhand winner to secure the opener.
Alcaraz looked fresh despite being on the court for more than 10 hours this week, securing a 4-2 advantage in the second set when it seemed he might reach the finish line.
But Alcaraz delivered a terrible service and led 4-3, which included four unforced errors to give the world No. 2 a lifeline.
Novak Djokovic ripped his jersey after beating Carlos Alcaraz in three sets on Sunday
The Serbian star defeated Spain’s Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4) in Western & Southern
Alcaraz took a 4-2 lead in the second set but then delivered a terrible service
In the tiebreak of the second set, Djokovic secured a championship point and then forced a decider after winning a 25-shot rally.
During the break before the third set, a frustrated Alcaraz slammed his hand against the plastic drinks container next to his chair, requiring a medical time-out to tape his finger.
In the decider, Djokovic used his fifth opportunity of the game to take a 4-3 lead.
The drama continued as Djokovic missed two match points while taking a 5-3 lead.
Alcaraz would save two more match points and break serve when Djokovic missed an overhead to make it 5-5.
Ultimately, the players came to another tiebreak, which Djokovic won when the 20-year-old’s forehand return went wide.
The win was Djokovic’s 95th career title and 39th Masters 1000 crown.