Carlos Alcaraz reveals ‘biggest mistake’ he made in defeat to Novak Djokovic
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Djokovic was injured in the first set and took a medical timeout before coming back to win in four sets. Carlos Alcaraz admitted that he made a “big mistake” in his Australian Open quarter-final defeat to Novak Djokovic when he saw his opponent was struggling with injury during the second set.
![[Djokovic struggled physically before taking a medical timeout]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/21/15/GettyImages-2195086114.jpg)
Djokovic managed to battle from a set down to reach a 12th Australian Open in a vintage display from the 37-year-old, but Alcaraz said he let the Serbian back into the match by taking his foot off the gas in the second set. Djokovic took a medical timeout late in the first set, leaving the court before returning with strapping around his left leg, and Alcaraz said he thought the match against the 24-time grand slam champion would be “easier” from there.
![[Alcaraz leaves the Australian Open with his head high despite defeat]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/21/15/GettyImages-2195092288-%281%29.jpg)
Djokovic admitted he would have retired from the match had he gone two sets down to Alcaraz, but he started to play more aggressively in the rallies and survived to level the match before the painkillers kicked in at the start of the third set. Alcaraz, who now trails his head-to-head against Djokovic 5-3 after suffering a second consecutive exit at the Australian Open quarter-finals, congratulated his opponent but regretted that he did not put the match away.
“Honestly, I felt like I was controlling the match, and I let him get into the match again. I’m going to say that was the biggest mistake that I made today,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. “In the second set I had to play a little bit better just to push him even more to the limit. He had issues just moving a little bit in the second set. I had to push him a little bit more just to the limit, and I didn’t.
