Rivalries are defined by how well-matched both players are in terms of their resumes and skills when placed head-to-head against each other. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic add another layer to these and that is their emotional intensity when duking it out while facing the other. One of them gets to lay down on the court and relish in the cheers of the crowd while the other sits on the beach with a broken heart. The finals of the Cincinnati Open was not an exception as the two close another chapter in their storied rivalry en route to the US Open.

Novak Djokovic ended up as the victor during this year's Cincinnati Open after saving a lot of championship points against the young Spanish prodigy. Carlos Alcaraz had the opportunity to salvage and tilt the match in his favor but he just could not seal the deal. He ended up weeping on the bench as the Serbian king of tennis ripped his shirt to shreds after the victory.

Carlito still showed a lot of heart and faced the media after his loss. He disclosed how tough it is to win over Novak after their head-to-head records equalized, via Yasmin Syed of The UK Express.

“It’s amazing sharing the court with you, playing you, learning from you. This match was really close but I learned a lot from a champion like you so congratulations to you and your team,” he said graciously about Djokovic's victory. He prefaced this heartwarming speech with a warning about his emotions, “It’s going to be tough for me to talk right now but I’ll try to do my best. First of all, I want to congratulate Novak once again.”

Will we see the two match up in the US Open final again?