Djokovic falls short of a 25th major title as Alcaraz triumphs in Australia. It’s still his mission

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — As only true champions do, Novak Djokovic assessed a tournament where he got within two sets of achieving a record 25th Grand Slam title as something to work on.

In an Australian Open final where both men were chasing history, 22-year-old Carlos Alcaraz came back to beat Djokovic in four sets on Sunday night.

“You’re speaking to me 10 minutes after I lost the final, so of course I’m going to be a little bit bitter about losing,” Djokovic said in his official post-final news conference.