he thrilling Wimbledon final confirmed Djokovic’s generous compliments that Carlos’s game is a mashup of three unmatched superstars.
Roger Federer was taken aback a few weeks ago when he heard his ex-coach, the Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, lavishly laud Carlos Alcaraz, saying that Alcaraz has traits from Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Federer’s approach was to not put the child under too much strain, saying, “He said that?… There is plenty to live up to. A man who understands the importance of a changing of the guard, Novak Djokovic, would bring up that analogy on a breezy Sunday night after losing a heartbreaking Wimbledon final.
To be honest, I’ve never played a player like him. I believe that throughout the past year or so, people have been speculating about how Roger, Rafa, and I contributed to some aspects of his game. I’d concur with that. He has demonstrated that he is the top player in the world, which surprised me given how well he played on grass this year.
After mingling with celebrities, renowned athletes, and the spectators from the famed balcony a little while later, Alcaraz bounced into the press conference room and had a lovely smile when Djokovic’s remark was repeated to him. He wouldn’t smile in astonishment but rather with assurance as he said, “He (Djokovic) is probably right!” Self-evaluation can be challenging, but getting approval from a legend like Djokovic is another story entirely.
Alcaraz has displayed traits of all three of the sport’s greatest players, including Nadal’s lateral movement and fight, Federer’s forehand and audacity, and Djokovic’s backhand and temperament on a big stage. Djokovic’s assessment will only increase the hype surrounding Alcaraz’s multifaceted game.
Alcaraz has been compared to Rafael Nadal ever since he first gained notoriety as a rebellious adolescent. Why is clear to see. The physical toughness and brute force, the desire to never give up, the lightning-fast feet, and the enormous forehand are all Spanish characteristics.
Alcaraz’s control over the stroke, hitting it flatter in the air with subtler spin, is more reminiscent of Roger Federer than Nadal’s spinning, lasso-like forehand, which will undoubtedly be a shot permanently embedded in tennis iconography.
The same can be said of his dedication to taking low-probability, riskier shots that arise from his all-court offensive style. Since so many of Alcaraz’s advantages are surface-independent, he is difficult to defeat wherever. His opponents’ court was shrunk by his aggressive court positioning, powerful forehand, skillful net play, and variety of low slices, which kept them on their toes.
Alcaraz has already expressed his admiration for Federer frequently, and this admiration is evident in the daring shots he chooses. Given Alcaraz’s age, it seems possible that he witnessed Federer in his later years, when he was using every cunning tactic in the book to get an advantage over his baseline-bashing rivals.
Due of his audacity, Alcaraz is still interesting to watch. Although he hasn’t specifically copied any strokes from Federer’s arsenal, his trademark drop shot, which is most daring when played to the forehand side, is just as daring.
The daring to pull it off in important situations, such as the crucial second-set tiebreaker, the enormously significant third game of the third set, when defending break points, or while serving for the championship, is as surprising as the touch required to pull it off.
For all the parallels, Federer’s obvious weakness – his backhand during marathon crosscourt rallies – have not been co-opted by the 20-year-old. His strong two-hander is adaptable both as a rally stroke, and as an alternative for an easy winner down-the-line, like to Djokovic.
In the Sunday final, Alcaraz displayed Djokovic-like composure and ruthlessness during each crucial moment that turned momentum in his favour. Like in the second set tiebreaker he needed to win following his first set meltdown against the maestro of tiebreakers. Alcaraz would unleash a deftly disguised forehand drop shot at 4-5 in the breaker, surprising Djokovic. From there, the Serb would net two easy backhands to lose the set.
Up until the fourth game of the third set, the match was still in doubt despite a change in the tide of momentum. There would be thunderous groundstrokes and careless blunders for 26 minutes and 13 deuces. Alcaraz had used his forehand to control the rallies, but Djokovic displayed his customary tenacity by fending off six break points. The Spaniard outlasted the marathon man and eventually raced to a two-sets-to-one lead after breaking the reserves on the sixth attempt.
But after one of his infamous toilet breaks, Djokovic returned with the typical ferocity after letting Alcaraz ride his momentum. He won the fourth set easily as the forehand stopped missing and the first serve and return started working again.
Alcaraz had to seal the deal at that crucial moment. After leading by one set at Wimbledon, Djokovic had never lost. He had only ever dropped a fifth set in a Grand Slam final once, against Andy Murray, who was also the last person to beat him on Centre Court ten years prior.
In the third game, Alcaraz continued to exert himself. Despite making a mistake that was out of the ordinary, Djokovic would keep improving. Large first serve, precise and angled groundstrokes, quick recovery from a slip, and a tremendous backhand crosscourt to finish the point at the net.
Alcaraz then produced the decisive move that gave him the victory by shifting off balance and slamming a big backhand passing shot down the line. Djokovic shattered his racquet into bits on the wooden net pillar as the crowd gasped in awe.
The Serb had repeatedly destroyed opponents by stealing victories like this, stepping up his performance just enough to prevail in crucial situations. Alcaraz would serve it out for the historic victory, possibly shifting the men’s tennis tectonic plates in the process.
The preceding generation had such a stronghold that on Sunday, Alcaraz broke Djokovic’s record of 36 years old by becoming the youngest active player to win the Australian Open, French Open, or Wimbledon. Since Wawrinka, who was a decade older than Alcaraz at the time, won the multiple Grand Slams in 2015, he became the first person to do so.
Due to the fact that Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev have each won the US Open once, players born in the 2000s and 1990s now have the same number of Grand Slam victories, making Alcaraz’s accomplishment all the more impressive.
The fact that Alcaraz has not only overcome but also outperformed the significant noise and hype that has surrounded his raw talent over the past 18 months is a credit to the support structure that surrounds him and the hard work of his coaching team, which is directed by former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero. Just a few years into his professional career, not even his staunchest supporters could have expected a victory for him against Djokovic in a decisive set at Wimbledon. especially following the cramps brought on by nerves at the French Open final.
His huge victory felt substantial at the time.Given the potential of this era-defining rivalry, his return is a tantalising proposition for any tennis fan.
