Novak Djokovic struggled to hold back his tears during the trophy ceremony at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.
The 36-year-old Serb was close to rewriting history at the 2023 Wimbledon. He needed to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final to win the 24th Grand Slam title, and move ahead of his biggest rival on the ATP Tour, Rafael Nadal, by two majors, and also match Margaret Court's all-time record.
But with the 37-year-old Spaniard sidelined, there's another Spanish player that is making his own history. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the final to win his 2nd Grand Slam title and stop his opponent's dream of completing a Calendar Grand Slam and winning the 24th major.
Djokovic, as always gracious in defeat, congratulated his opponent and had only the best words for everyone during the trophy ceremony, including his opponent's box and everyone involved.
"Good afternoon to everyone, not so good for me, but good for Carlos. I have to start, obviously, with praises to Carlos and his team. Amazing, what a quality at the end of the match. You deserve it absolutely, amazing. Amazing!"
But once the Serbian's speech started to come to an end, and as he addressed his son Stefan and his wife Jelena, Djokovic started getting emotional and struggled to hold his tears back.
"It's nice to see my son still there, still smiling. I love you, thank you for supporting me, I will give you a big hug and we can all... love each other."
Although the conclusion of the third Grand Slam of the season was certainly a disappointing one for Djokovic, in a few days or weeks' time, he'll certainly look back and be proud of his achievements, as will his family.
But now, it will be all about Carlos Alcaraz and his triumph, as Djokovic will certainly look to avenge the loss at the US Open, where the roles will be reversed, as the Spaniard will be the defending champion at the Flushing Meadows.
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