Runner-up Novak Djokovic believes new Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz’s fighting spirit is similar to that of his legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain with his trophy on Sunday. Pics/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic knows a thing or two about the talents and intangibles required to win big matches against the best players. He has been in 35 Grand Slam finals and won 23 of them. He played Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a total of 109 times, with head-to-head edges against both. He went 9-5 against them in title matches at majors.
So it seemed only natural to ask Djokovic to whom he’d compare the new star of men’s tennis—Carlos Alcaraz—after losing to him across five sets and more than four-and-a-half hours brimming with brilliant play and dramatic moments in the Wimbledon final on Sunday. “People have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa and myself. I would agree with that,” Djokovic began, the bitterness of the 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 defeat, and the end of his reign at the All England Club, still sharp.
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Runner-up Novak Djokovic
“He’s got basically the best of all three worlds,” Djokovic said. That would stand out as a rather striking endorsement of the precocious Alcaraz, a Spaniard, who won the US Open last year, and now is one of just five men to collect multiple Grand Slam trophies before turning 21.
Then Djokovic got into specifics. “He’s got this mental resilience and, really, maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It’s quite impressive. He’s got this Spanish bull’s mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years,” said Djokovic, who had won Wimbledon four years in a row and seven times in all.
When the gist of that assessment was relayed to the No. 1-ranked Alcaraz, his eyes widened and he exhaled under the white bucket hat that became his trademark news conference accessory. “It’s crazy that Novak [would] say that. I consider myself a complete player. I have the shots, the strength physically, the strength mentally, enough to [handle] these situations,” he said.
Living up to expectations is never easy, but somehow Alcaraz is living up to the hype. He’s equipped with a booming forehand and the touch to implement the softest of drop shots. He produced more than twice as many winners as Djokovic on a windy afternoon—66 to 32. He broke five times across 23 return games on Sunday—something that Djokovic’s prior six opponents managed to accomplish just three times across 103 games. “I haven’t played a player like him ever. Carlos is a very complete player with amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces,” said Djokovic, who at 36 would have been the oldest men’s champion at the All England Club.
One sign of greatness is doing things no one else has. In August, Alcaraz heads to New York to defend a US Open title that made him the first teenager ever to top the ATP rankings, the first teenager to win the men’s championship at Flushing Meadows since Pete Sampras in 1990, and the first teenager to win any Slam
trophy since Nadal at the French Open in 2005.
Three
No. of Spanish men, including Alcaraz, who have won Wimbledon—Manolo Santana (1966) and Rafael Nadal (2008 & 2010) being the other two
Alcaraz ended it all on Sunday!
27
Djokovic’s match-winning streak at all Grand Slams
34
Djokovic’s match-winning streak at Wimbledon
34
Djokovic’s match-winning streak on all grass courts
45
Djokovic’s match-winning streak at Wimbledon’s Centre Court
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