Novak Djokovic overcame a match point and stifling heat to beat world number one Carlos Alcaraz 5-7 7-6(7) 7-6(4) and win the Cincinnati Open in a heart-pounding thriller on Sunday.<br /><br />Djokovic collapsed on his back and ripped his shirt open after triumphing in the nearly four-hour contest to get revenge for his loss to the young Spaniard in last month's Wimbledon final.<br /><br />"So much to say and so little energy," Djokovic said while collecting his third Cincinnati Open title.<br /><br />"It has been a roller coaster and one of the toughest and most exciting matches that I've ever been a part of in any tournament.<br /><br />"It did feel like a Grand Slam final, even more than that, to be honest."<br /><br />The Serb was hobbled by the intense humidity at the tail end of the first set, barely moving when Alcaraz hit a backhand winner to grab the opener.<br /><br />Alcaraz raced out to a 4-2 second-set lead and it appeared he might cruise to the finish line as his 36-year-old opponent looked cooked in the Ohio sun.<br /><br />But Alcaraz would produce a poor service game while leading 4-3 that included four unforced errors to give life to the world number two.<br /><br />In the second-set tiebreak, Djokovic saved a championship point and went on to force a deciding set after winning a 25-shot rally.<br /><br />During the break before the third set, a frustrated Alcaraz pounded his right hand against the plastic drinks container next to his chair, requiring a medical timeout to tape his finger.<br /><br />In the decider, Djokovic broke for a 5-3 lead but would then squander two match points in the next game.<br /><br />The drama would continue when Djokovic missed an overhead for 5-5 and the players would ultimately arrive at another tiebreak, which Djokovic won on his fifth match point of the contest.<br /><br />"It is going to be tough for me to talk right now but I tried to do my best," Alcaraz said.<br /><br />"I want to congratulate Novak once again. It's amazing to play against you, share the court with you, learn from you. This match was close but I learned a lot."<br /><br />The win delivered Djokovic his 95th career title and 39th Masters 1000 crown.<br /><br />The tournament was Djokovic's first on U.S. soil in two years after he was barred from entering the country because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19.<br /><br />He will look to add a 24th Grand Slam trophy to his collection at the upcoming U.S. Open, which runs from Aug. 28-Sept. 10.<br /><br />"Every one of our matches goes the distance," Djokovic said to Alcaraz. The pair are now 2-2 in their generational rivalry.<br /><br />"Hopefully we can play in some weeks' time in New York," he said.<br /><br />"That would be nice for the crowd, I don't know about me."
