Djokovic has discussed the state of Alcaraz: A complete tennis specimen and a harmonious whole modeled on big three.
Novak Djokovic has called the unique talent of Alcaraz a combination of big three, following their blockbuster five set battle at Wimbledon final. The defeat concluded the Djokovic’s supreme and flawless dominance at the center court that started in 2013. Serb was the man to beat at SW19 since 2017 and Alcaraz did that to become the first player to hand him a loss at Wimbledon center court since Andy Murray in 2013.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion shared his thoughts following the loss in a very close but “for the ages final”. He admitted that Spaniard’s grass game took him by surprise who is playing so well at this early in his career.
“I didn’t expect him to play so well this year on grass, but he’s proven that he’s the best player in the world, no doubt. He’s playing some fantastic tennis on different surfaces and he deserves to be where he is,” said Novak.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Djokovic revealed that he hops to develop a rivalry with the young champion, “He’s going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don’t know how long I’ll be around.
“Let’s see. It’s been only three matches that we played against each other. Three really close matches. Two already this year in later stages of Grand Slams.
Djokovic added, “I hope we get to play in the US Open. Why not? I think it’s good for the sport, one and two in the world facing each other in almost a five-hours, five-set thriller. Couldn’t be better for our sport in general, so why not.”
Alcaraz is often compared to Novak’s greatest rival and his countryman Nadal, who is presently on the sidelines of the ATP circuit after sustaining a psoas injury he experienced in Australian Open in the start of 2023.
However, Djokovic was generous enough to rate the 20-year old as a combination of himself, Nadal and Federer, “I think 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. I think he’s got basically the best of all three worlds.”
He continued, “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 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 he’s got some similarities with my backhands. Yeah, two-handed backhands, defence, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too.”
The 23-time slam champion was in awe of the 2-time Slam winner and event went on to say that he had never played anyone like the young Spaniard, suggesting that he has a more complete than Fedal.
“I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest,” claimed Djokovic. “Roger and Rafa have their own obvious strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces.”