Madrid Open: Novak Djokovic explains reason for loss against 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz

World number one Novak Djokovic was knocked out by 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, who became the youngest finalist at the Madrid Open. The latter defeated the Serbian star 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) in the semi-finals. Earlier, the teenage Spanish sensation had also defeated 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal at the event.

Madrid Open 2022: Novak Djokovic praises Carlos Alcaraz

While speaking at his post-match press conference after the defeat to Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, Novak Djokovic heaped praise on Garfia and also explained the reason for his loss. "Congrats to him. He held his nerve very well. For somebody of his age to play so maturely and courageously is impressive. He deserved to win. His kick in altitude here is huge, and it was just difficult to deal with his ball, and I wasn't feeling my return from that side. He was serving a lot of kicks just to put himself in a good position."

The 20-time Grand Slam champion was aiming to reach a record-extending 55th ATP Masters 1000 final at the Madrid Open 2022 but was unable to overcome the masterclass performance of Carlos Alcaraz. The World No 9 will now face Alexander Zverev in the finals and aim to win his second Masters 1000 title.

Djokovic admitted that the defeat hurt at the moment, but when he looked back, he would probably see that he played well against Garfia. "I definitely played very good tennis. I mean, the best that I have played this year. Probably when the disappointment of losing this match passes, I will have a lot of positives to take away from this week."

Carlos Alcaraz becomes youngest player to reach Madrid Open final

Carlos Alcaraz scripted history when he defeated Novak Djokovic as he became the youngest player to reach the Madrid Open final, just a few days after turning 19. To put his achievement into context, he beat the likes of 21-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal (19 years, 5 months) and former world number one Andy Murray (21 years, 5 months) who are among the youngest finalists at the tournament. Alcaraz will now also aim to become the youngest champion at the event by defeating Alexander Zverev in the finals on Sunday.