"Let go, if they whistle a warning, let them" - What Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero instructed during Cincinnati final vs Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero sent out numerous instructions during his match against Novak Djokovic in Cincinnati.

Alcaraz faced defeat by the narrowest of margins against Djokovic in the final of the recently concluded Masters 1000 event. The Spaniard had a one-set lead and was also a championship point up in the second set tiebreak, but he could not cross the finish line.

Carlos Alcaraz eventually went down 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (4), giving Novak Djokovic his 39th Masters 1000 title.

Through it all, Alcaraz had the consistent support of coach and former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, thanks to the new rule allowing on-court coaching. Ferrero, known for assisting his charge with frequent instructions during matches, did not hold back during the all-important Cincinnati Open final.

As per Marca, he constantly cheered the two-time Grand Slam champion on, asking him to take the match point by point and not give up. He also asked Carlos Alcaraz to loosen up and relax.

“Come on, come on, point by point. I know it's hard for you, but you have to go up with the serve. Don't give up, don't give up, come on. Hold on, hold on. Be very attentive to the climbs. The one before you fail because you make too much effort, loose, loose. Relax and continue,” Juan Carlos Ferrero was heard saying.

Alcaraz fought tooth and nail till the last point of the contest. The World No. 1 initially trailed by a break in the decider but leveled the score at 5-5 by breaking Djokovic when he served for the championship. Alcaraz saved an impressive four championship points during the defeat.

When the World No. 1 was a break down at 4-5 in the decider, Ferrero astutely reminded him of Novak Djokovic's previous match against Alexander Zverev. In that semifinal, Djokovic failed to close out the match on his first opportunity.

“Zverev broke him with 5-4 the other day,” Juan Carlos Ferrero yelled.

Juan Carlos Ferrero also instructed Carlos Alcaraz to take his time between points and while serving. Against Novak Djokovic, who himself received a warning for running down the shot clock during his serve, the coach told the youngster to pay no heed even if the chair umpire were to fire a warning.

“Let go, let go, if they whistle a 'warning', let them whistle it. He is very attentive to the open, watch out,” Ferrero yelled.

While Carlos Alcaraz was able to level things in the final moments of the third set, a costly unforced error at 4-4 in the tiebreak gave Novak Djokovic a decisive mini-break.

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"Boy, you never give up man. Jesus Christ" – Novak Djokovic to Carlos Alcaraz after Cincinnati final

The Serb and the Spaniard in Cincinnati

Following their intense Cincinnati Open clash, Novak Djokovic heaped lavish praise on Carlos Alcaraz. The Serb, who ended up on the losing side against the 20-year-old just last month in the Wimbledon final, lauded the youngster's impressive achievements.

“I think we are all lost for words for what you are doing on the court and off the court. You are an incredible person and a champion. A lot of players never manage to achieve these heights in their entire career,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said during the trophy presentation.

Djokovic also hilariously expressed his wish to see the Spaniard give out a few free points and go easy on him.

“Boy, you never give up man. Jesus Christ. I mean, I love that about you but you know, sometimes I wish that maybe you play a few points just like this (loose),” he joked.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s Cincinnati Open final, which lasted three hours and 49 minutes, was the longest match in the tournament’s history and the longest Masters 1000 final played in the best-of-three sets format. With the title win, Novak Djokovic equaled their head-to-head to 2-2.

The two will now contest the US Open, where they will be the top two seeds yet again, meaning they won’t meet before the final.