One month on from Carlos Alcaraz’s astounding triumph at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic fought back from the brink of defeat to produce a statement victory in tennis’s great new rivalry as the two best players in the world demonstrated the full breadth of their resilience throughout a remarkable instant classic.
Despite struggling badly with the conditions, facing a championship point and then squandering four of his own, Djokovic recovered to win his third Cincinnati title by outlasting Alcaraz 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4) in a battle that lasted three hours and 49 minutes.
“Crazy. Honestly, I don’t know what else I can say. Tough to describe,” said Djokovic. “Definitely one of the toughest matches I’ve ever played in my life. Regardless of what tournament, what category, what player.”
Djokovic has now won 39 ATP Masters 100 titles, extending his record, and after Cincinnati had eluded him for much of his career the 36-year-old has now won the title three times. While Alcaraz will maintain his No 1 ranking next week, Djokovic will sit just 20 points from the 20-year-old in the ATP rankings and he is likely to reclaim the No 1 ranking after the US Open.
“Anybody who’s watching on the stadium or on the TV has seen that this rivalry just gets better and better. Amazing player, tons of respect for him,” said Djokovic.
The victory further underlined Djokovic’s ability to escape any deficit. After Djokovic initially led 4-2 in the opening set, Alcaraz found his range and powered through the set. As Alcaraz rose to the challenge, Djokovic struggled in the suffocating 33C heat and he soon trailed by a set and 4-2.
But as he so often has done throughout his career, Djokovic found a way through. First he held on just long enough in the second set to find his range again. Then, after retrieving the second set break and forcing a tiebreak, Djokovic saved a match point before taking the set by relentlessly grinding Alcaraz down.
As the afternoon heat subsided and Djokovic took his momentum into the third set, the Serb imposed himself in Alcaraz’s service games throughout the final set and the Spaniard finally seemed to succumb at 3-3 in the third, relinquishing the first break of the set.
Instead, the match cascaded into chaos. As Djokovic established a 5-3 lead, Alcaraz made his last stand, saving four championship points with a variety of outlandish last-gasp winners as Djokovic’s serve wobbled under the pressure. As the quality hit stratospheric heights, Alcaraz secured the break and forced a decisive tiebreak. With his back to the wall, Djokovic took an early lead and then finally refused to let it go.
At the same time that Djokovic celebrated with his team, Alcaraz wept in his seat before sharing an emotional moment with his brother, Alvaro, who he thanked during his speech. Through Alcaraz’s pain and Djokovic’s joy, the mutual respect between them only continued to grow. “Boy, you never give up. Jesus Christ.” said Djokovic.
Sunday also marked a triumphant day for one the most prominent young stars as 19-year-old Coco Gauff secured the biggest title of her career earlier in the day, her defence and athleticism impeccable as she followed up her first win against the world No 1 Iga Swiatek in the semi-final by defeating Karolína Muchová 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
“I’m really happy with how I was able to manage this week,” she said. “I got a huge win yesterday, a big one today. Karolína, she’s not an easy player. It’s really good to see her back at the top.”
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Since her crushing first-round defeat by Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon, Gauff has won 11 of her past 12 matches, her confidence building with every bout. Cincinnati is Gauff’s first WTA 1000 title and her fifth career title. After so much discussion and some criticism throughout her career about her progress, potential and forehand, the victory further underlines the 19-year-old’s continued growth.
“I wasn’t serving as well [as against Swiatek]. I think that’s what makes a champion, is how you’re doing on the days you aren’t feeling so great. I’m glad I was able to push through,” said Gauff.
• This article was amended on 21 August 2023. An earlier version gave an incorrect score of 6-3 for the final set when, as the article went on to make clear, the match ended in a tiebreak (7-6).
