Carlos Alcaraz | The new heir to the tennis throne

Nothing in modern sports has succumbed to such extreme consolidation of power as men’s singles tennis. In the two decades from Wimbledon 2003 to the French Open 2023, the trio of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have won 65 of the 79 Grand Slam tournaments. In seven of the remaining 14, one of the three was in the final.

The reasons may be many superior racket technologies, homogenization of the field and better fitness standards, but this kind of empire-building activity was unprecedented. Some signs of rebellious unrest were shown by Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, who each won three Majors. But they were smothered with typical menace as the big three left little room for the game’s inherent chaos to rise and cause turnovers.

That such an imposing edifice is shaken to its foundations right now is thanks to Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old reigning world number one who defeated Djokovic in last Sunday’s Wimbledon final in five pulsating sets that lasted nearly five hours. Just last month, Alcaraz suffered stress-induced full-body cramps against Djokovic in the French Open semifinals. And when he lost the first set of the final 1-6 and dropped a point in the second set tie-break, it looked like a repeat act.

However, the Spaniard went through a stunning transformation from the stage, energized and energized by the crowd, to win his second Slam since last year’s US Open. In doing so, he handed Djokovic his first defeat in a five-set Major final since Murray beat him at the 2012 US Open, denying his opponent a men’s record-extending 24th crown and a record eighth Wimbledon trophy (with Federer).

It didn’t matter that Djokovic was the four-time defending champion, hadn’t lost on the iconic Center Court since the 2013 final to Murray, and that Sam Querrey last beat him at SW19 in 2016. In fact, Federer last beat Djokovic at any Slam in 2012. Djokovic hasn’t been to the US Open final since 3. Next generation talents Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud have combined to win one of eight Major finals against Djokovic.

That Alcaraz found a way to break into the Serbs’ airtight record may well be his genius. Entering the grass swing, Alcaraz was unseasoned. He had played only six Tour-level matches on the surface in two Wimbledons in 2021 and 2022. But he showed all the grass-court fundamentals to remain unbeaten at Queens Club and Wimbledon.

Alcaraz served well and his backhand speed was phenomenal, as seen by many shots over 100 mph. He even used a shortened forehand with a less elaborate routine to counter the speed at which the ball leaves the grass. His aerial flight was first class, his footwork was excellent and the transition from the back to the forecourt resembled a natural grass field. He took aggressive rebounding positions and blocked, sliced ​​and dribbled his way out of trouble. And the bold, nerveless drops he made gave his game the texture and color usually associated with generational talent.

Challenging the bar

Djokovic has raised the bar and Alcaraz has become challenging, Mats Wilander, seven-time Major champion and one of the most serious viewers of modern tennis, told Eurosport. This is a huge moment for our sport. He is something so special that we may never have seen before.

I’ll include Federer, Nadal and Djokovic… because he has Federer’s touch, Nadal’s passion and Novak Djokovic’s movement and defense skills. Plus, he has fun and really smiles on the tennis court. To do that at Wimbledon and in the final is really amazing.

To be honest, Alcaraz has always been talked about for success. The speed with which he has fulfilled his promise is amazing. At 61, he doesn’t have the height advantage that Medvedev (66), Alexander Zverev (66) and Berrettini (65) are blessed with. But he is still committed to playing from the first kick and has an innate ability to call for the goal whenever needed.

12 titles

It has also helped that in modern times superficial stereotypes are slowly catching on. When Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were on the rise, their styles were quickly associated with grass, clay and hard courts. To the trio’s credit, they grew into complete outfielders, but Alcaraz already seems to have a few rough edges.

Of his 12 Tour titles, seven have come on clay, three on hard courts and two on grass. Last year at the Madrid Masters, a tournament he has won twice, he now became the first man to beat Nadal and Djokovic in back-to-back clay matches and the youngest (then 19) to do so anywhere. On hard courts, he has already secured three of the five biggest prizes (Indian Wells, Miami and US Open) and two of the most prestigious on grass (Wimbledon and Queens). Carlos, I think he was born to play these kinds of matches, Juan Carlos Ferrero, the former world number one and French Open champion who is currently Alcaraz’s coach, said after winning the 2022 US Open. When he entered the academy at the age of 15, he was like spaghetti. We had to work. We saw that he had very fast hands, very fast feet, but no muscles at all. [But] From the moment I started with him, I saw some things that were different from others his age. I still see it on the field. In the most important moments, he always tries to go [for it].

It’s fair to say that Alcaraz has now established himself as the heir apparent. But his greatest achievement may be helping fans rediscover the visceral thrill of watching an unpredictable tennis match, a feeling the trio had only smoothed out from the game. We’ve seen enough of Carlos Alcaraz in these championships [Wimbledon] it tells us that … first of all, he’s a very good learner,” Wilander said. [He] adapted to the toughest surface in our sport.

You never know if he’s going to get hurt. But if he’s healthy and plays this kind of tennis, he’s only going to get better. I put him somewhere between 10 and 15 Slams. But even if he ends up with five or six, he’s too important to our sport.