Emotional scenes at Cincinnati Open as Carlos Alcaraz bawls his eyes out behind a towel after title loss to Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the title clash of the 2023 Cincinnati Open on Sunday, August 20. The duo contested an intense three-set battle which lasted three hours and 49 minutes, showcasing some of their best tennis.

In their first encounter since Wimbledon this year, where the Spaniard came out on top, Alcaraz took the opening set on Sunday. He then reached a championship point in the second-set tiebreaker.

Djokovic, meanwhile, appeared to be struggling with the Cincinnati heat, cooling himself with ice towels frequently at the beginning of the second set. However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion dug his heels in and turned the match around, taking it into a decider.

Carlos Alcaraz saved four championship points in the final set before Novak Djokovic closed the match out 5-7, 7-6 (9), 7-6 (7).

Alcaraz then crossed the court to embrace Djokovic and shake hands with the chair empire. However, once he was back on his chair, emotions seemed to take over as he cried uncontrollably into a towel.

A fan took to Instagram to share a short clip of the moment, writing:

"He's only 20 but more beyond 20. We found courage tenacity and hope in the young generation's eyes. Amazing Carlos after Cincinnati finals."

You can view the clip here:

Alcaraz later composed himself and sat back with a smile as the crowd began cheering and applauding him. He looked somewhat back to his usual self during the presentation ceremony, where he congratulated Djokovic and his team.

"I learned a lot from a champion like you" - Carlos Alcaraz congratulates Novak Djokovic on Cincinnati Open title

Novak Djokovic with the 2023 Cincinnati Open trophy (right) and Carlos Alcaraz with the runner up's trophy(left)

During the on-court presentation ceremony after the 2023 Cincinnati Open final, Carlos Alcaraz took a moment to thank Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz began his speech by expressing his gratitude at sharing the court with the veteran and learning from him in the process.

“It's going to be tough for me to talk right now, but I'll try my best. First of all I want to congratulate Novak once again. It's amazing playing against you, sharing the court with you, learning from you,” Alcaraz said.

He also congratulated Djokovic's team and said: