The coup in the epic Wimbledon final is said to have been just the beginning for Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spanish tennis titan wants to take on record Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic again at the US Open in New York in September. “I think I’ve shown that I can compete with him on the biggest stages in epic matches,” said Alcaraz after his final victory in London. “I’m ready to move on and be Novak’s big rival.”
He measures himself and becomes one of the greats
For many years, the tennis world has been waiting for someone who can challenge the greats of the industry. Roger Federer, who has since retired, Rafael Nadal, who is currently injured, Djokovic and now and then Andy Murray set the scene – until this 20-year-old Spaniard showed up, who has everything to dominate men’s tennis in the years to come.
For Djokovic, who was dethroned on Sunday after four Wimbledon victories in a row on the sacred lawn, there is no question who he will have to compete with in the future in order to add more to his 23 Grand Slam titles. “People say that his game consists of certain elements from Roger (Federer), Rafael (Nadal) and me. I agree. He has the best of all three worlds,” said the 36-year-old Serb after his bitter defeat in five sentences. “I’ve never played against a player like him.”
Elegant and filigree like Federer, powerful and self-sacrificing like Nadal and dominant and strong-willed like Djokovic – this is how Alcaraz presented himself in the biggest match of his career so far. The British newspaper “The Sun” described him as “King Carlos” on Monday. “Carlos Alcaraz’s seismic victory could herald the dawn of a new era. This felt like the day we saw the Serb grow old,” wrote the British newspaper Daily Mail.
Alcaraz – “something of everyone”
Alcaraz were almost a bit embarrassed by Djokovic’s exuberant words. The world number one smiled embarrassed when asked about the Serb’s compliments. “It’s crazy that Novak says something like that,” Alcaraz replied. However, he did not want to completely dismiss the comparisons. “I would describe myself as a very complete player. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I have a bit of each.”
Alcaraz against Djokovic – this should be the next giant duel in tennis in the near future. Although Djokovic is already 36 years old, at Wimbledon he continued to present himself in excellent physical condition. “36 is the new 26,” he said, announcing that he wanted revenge after a short break in New York.
Djokovic calls for revenge
“I hope we can play against each other again at the US Open,” said the Serb, referring to the last Grand Slam tournament this year. “I don’t think there’s anything better for our sport than world number one and world number two going head-to-head in epic five-set matches.”
However, Alcaraz hopes that he is not alone in trying to permanently change the guard in world tennis. “The win is great for me, but also for the young generation as a whole,” said the Spaniard, referring to players like Jannik Sinner, who had no chance against Djokovic in the semifinals at Wimbledon, Andrei Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev. Alexander Zverev also belonged to this group before his injury.
But above all Alcaraz belongs to the future if he is spared injuries. “Carlos Alcaraz puts an end to the invincible Djokovic and crowns himself the ‘Big One’ of tennis at Wimbledon,” wrote the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca”.
