Carlos Alcaraz Admits He Didn’t Expect to Beat Novak Djokovic and Win 1st Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz could once again schedule a match against Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.

Carlos Alcaraz Admits He Didn’t Expect to Beat Novak Djokovic and Win 1st Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/Wimbledon)

Carlos Alcaraz is bidding to take home his third consecutive Wimbledon title. In 2023, Alcaraz was up against 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final which he won in five sets, denying the Serb the Calendar Slam.

Alcaraz could once again set up a clash with the 38-year-old in this Wimbledon final. Ahead of his first-round match, Alcaraz reminisced about his victory here for the first time and revealed how he didn’t expect him to win the title.

2023 was really unexpected, I didn’t think I was able to win the tournament. I ended up winning the tournament and it gave me a lot of confidence on grass. Then going into 2024, it was a great feeling. The last two months for me have been unbelievable, and yeah, the confidence is pretty high.

Carlos Alcaraz said (via Wimbledon’s YouTube channel)

Last year too Alcaraz defeated Djokovic, denying him his 25th Grand Slam title. Alcaraz, who trails 3-5 in the head-to-head matchups with Djokovic, will be aiming to win his sixth title of the season at SW19 following his victories in Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome, Paris, and at the Queen’s. At the Queen’s, the 22-year-old emerged victorious for the second time following the 2023 season.

It was also his fourth title on grass. The eight-time Wimbledon champion did not play any warm-up tournament before arriving in London.

At Wimbledon, Djokovic will also be chasing his second title of the season following the Geneva Open which he won by beating Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. The last time he reached a final since winning his 24th title at the 2023 US Open was at Wimbledon last year. He is searching for his first Big Title since winning the Paris Olympics last year by beating Alcaraz.

The last Big Title Alcaraz clinched was this year’s French Open by beating his arch-rival Jannik Sinner in five sets but not before saving three championship points in the fourth set. Alcaraz, in the London Major, will also be hoping to complete the Channel Slam for two consecutive seasons.

Andy Roddick backs Carlos Alcaraz to win his sixth Grand Slam title

Both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are chasing history. While the Belgrade native is bidding to surpass Margaret Court’s tally, the five-time Grand Slam champion is aiming to join greats of the game such as Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg, both of who retired after winning six Grand Slam titles.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (via The Tennis Letter)

Alcaraz will match the German’s Wimbledon tally if he wins. Former player Andy Roddick, during his Served podcast, backed the Spaniard to win the title over Djokovic.

These are all-time iconic names [Becker and Edberg], and this is, to Jon’s [Wertheim] point let’s pump the brakes, we still have to play, it’s the world’s best reality show, you don’t just get given titles but 3 Wimbledons? You match Becker there, you match his total Slam count and you’re 22. And Becker is a monster, he is an icon.

Alcaraz also became the third youngest man to win five Majors after Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal when he defended the French Open. The only Grand Slam tournament where Alcaraz has never reached the final is the Australian Open. This year, Alcaraz was aiming to become the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam but Djokovic denied him the chance by knocking him out of the quarterfinals.

At the French Open then, Nole was producing strong performances but couldn’t go past Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, losing the match in straight sets. Djokovic is projected to meet the three-time Grand Slam champion in the semifinal at Wimbledon as well.

Also read: Coco Gauff Calls for Women to Play Finals Last Instead of Men and Take Center Stage in Tennis