Before now, the question on the lips of every tennis lover is, who will stop Novak Djokovic with the absence of Rafael Nadal?
There is no doubt that whenever Rafael Nadal is not in a competition, Novak Djokovic takes the shine and vice versa because others dont pose any threat to them and if at all, maybe a little.
Recently, a new kid, Carlos Alcaraz emerged from the blues. When he started, people thought it was a fluke until he began to defeat seeded players and eventually won a grand slam.
Alcaraz became the first and only teenager to become the men’s world number one when he won the US Open last year and remains top of the rankings today after defeating Djokovic to claim his second major title at Wimbledon.
The Spaniard seems to be following the footsteps of his compatriot, Nadal by beating Djokovic in a Grand Slam final. Alcaraz overcame Djokovic at the place where he has been unbeatable in recent years.
The 20-year-old won a thrilling five-set final to claim the Wimbledon men’s singles title against all odds. On paper, bookmakers gave the match to the 36-year-old Serb because of his dominance of the game especially the Wimbledon but unfortunately the game went the other way round.
With the win, Alcaraz had stopped Djokovic from winning his fifth successive title at SW19, an eighth men’s crown at the All England Club and a 24th major overall – all record-equalling feats.
Djokovic was bidding to win the seventh of the past nine Grand Slams he has played in, having already claimed the Australian Open and French Open titles this year.
Alcaraz, became the first player to beat Djokovic on Centre Court since Andy Murray in the 2013 final.
In the past five seasons, Djokovic has lost only eight of the 52 matches he has played against opponents under the age of 23.
Added to that, Alcaraz was only the second younger opponent – after Daniil Medvedev at the 2021 US Open – to beat Djokovic in a Grand Slam final since 2020.
Djokovic, Federer and Nadal have dominated the sport for much of the past two decades, with Alcaraz becoming the first man to win multiple Grand Slams since Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka in 2016.
The Spaniard is also the first man other than Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray to win Wimbledon since 2002.
Meanwhile, tennis enthusiasts have started commenting on the outcome. Nine-time Wimbledon men’s doubles champion, Todd Woodbridge described Alcaraz’s win as a “changing of the guard”.
Some believe he has stopped Djokovic for tennis generation but Carlos thinks otherwise. “I did it for myself not for the tennis generation. Beating Novak at his best, in this stage, is making history, being the guy to beat him after 10 years unbeaten on that court, is amazing for me.”
Some have also said Alcaraz’s style takes elements from each of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal. Even Djokovic admitted. His words, “I would agree with that. I think he’s got basically the best of all three worlds.”
“He’s got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years.
“And I think he’s got some nice sliding backhands that have got some similarities with my backhands. Two-handed backhands, defence, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too.
“I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own obviously strengths and weaknesses.
“Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces,” he concluded.
It has long been asked which players would take on the men’s game and with the end of the careers of Nadal and Djokovic coming into view, Alcaraz is primed to take over at the top for the long haul.
Finally, the question on the lips of every tennis lover is, who is going to match this kid for the next few years?
With additional reports from BBC
