Tennis legend John McEnroe praised Novak Djokovic for his sportsmanship following a defeat in the US Open semi-finals. Djokovic, 38, lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a straight sets match of 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 on Friday.
This defeat marked Djokovic’s fourth semi-final loss in all grand slams this year as he chased his 25th major championship title. Despite already holding the record for the most major titles among men, Djokovic sought to surpass the Open Era record shared with Margaret Court.
Since winning the US Open two years ago, Djokovic has not secured another grand slam victory, coinciding with the rise of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. McEnroe highlighted Djokovic’s behavior following Alcaraz’s qualification for the US Open final.
Speaking on ESPN, McEnroe commended Djokovic for his grace in defeat, acknowledging the rising talent of Alcaraz. Djokovic had previously defeated Alcaraz in encounters at the Australian Open and the 2024 Olympics, but the Spaniard had triumphed in consecutive Wimbledon finals against Djokovic.
In response, Djokovic showed respect for Alcaraz and Sinner, stating that if he had to lose to anyone, it would be these two talented players. Despite demonstrating his skill against Alcaraz, Djokovic admitted to struggling to keep up with his energetic opponent after the second set.
McEnroe, drawing comparisons to tennis greats, discussed the possibility of Djokovic retiring from his illustrious career. Djokovic, acknowledging the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner, reflected on his recent defeats in the grand slam semi-finals.
Looking ahead to the US Open final between Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner, Djokovic evaluated his performance against the emerging stars, recognizing the challenge of facing them in the latter stages of major tournaments.
Although Djokovic acknowledged the physical demands of competing at the US Open and expressed the difficulty of sustaining his performance level, he affirmed his determination to continue competing and striving for another championship title despite the formidable competition from Alcaraz and Sinner.