Carlos Alcaraz, the man with the Midas touch signals a changing of the guard
At the age of 21, Carlos Alcaraz has already won 15 singles titles — including four singles Grand Slams and five Masters 1000s.
Follow Us
Carlos Alcaraz (via Imago)
Before this year’s Wimbledon Championships, all eyes were on two veterans of the men’s tour — Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Djokovic picked up an unfortunate injury at the French Open and went under the knife, and everyone seemed confident that he would not recover in time for one of his favorite tournaments on the ATP tour. Murray, on the other hand, was in the final weeks of his career and looked to bid goodbye to the fans at his home Grand Slam.
Against all speculations, Djokovic declared himself fit for the Championships, immediately making him one of the title favorites. Murray, on the other hand, could not overcome his issues and had to endure a lackluster time at SW19, pulling out of the singles, falling at the first hurdle in the men’s doubles, and being unable to take part in the mixed doubles after his partner Emma Raducanu withdrew in the last minute.
Amidst all this, Carlos Alcaraz arrived at Wimbledon on the back of a second-round exit at the Queen Club Championships. He was expected to go deep in the tournament, but a successful title defence was not a common prediction among fans and pundits.
After straight-set wins in the first two rounds, his opponents showed that there were chinks in his armor that was there for the taking. Frances Tiafoe came very close to ending the Spaniard’s campaign in the third round, but he managed to survive and stay alive.
Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2024 – Demolition job
Alcaraz managed to get to the final without any major hiccups after that and a title clash with Djokovic — a rematch of last year’s final — was on the cards. That the two were clashing just 39 days after Djokovic’s surgery saw the Serbian go into the match with fans talking about his invincibility and pre-written destiny. Alcaraz? He was expected to be a worthy competitor, nothing more.
The two hours and 27 minutes that followed stunned everyone, especially Djokovic, as Alcaraz put in his most dominant display against an opponent of this caliber. 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4), and a fourth Grand Slam was his.
After the match, Djokovic admitted that he could not have done anything to prevent that outcome.
I was inferior on the court. That's it. He was a better player. He played every single shot better than I did. I don't think I could have done something much more. He wasn't also allowing me to have many free points on my serve. He was reading the serve. He was playing with a lot of variety. I've never seen him serve that way, to be honest.Novak Djokovic said at a press conference
Carlos Alcaraz – A new sheriff in town
Former World No. 1 John McEnroe said before the match that a victory for Alcaraz would signal the start of a new era.
If [Carlos Alcaraz] beat him again here, then you'd really feel that [a changing of the guard] was the case.John McEnroe said during his commentary for ESPN
If McEnroe, a seven-time Major winner and one of the finest players to have graced the sport, says there is a new sheriff in town, then not many will argue. For more than two decades, the world saw Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer produce the kind of performances that made everyone wonder if the ATP Tour would ever see another player of their caliber in the future. And even before all of them have walked into the sunset, Alcaraz has burst onto the scene and established himself as the heir to not one but all of the Big 3.
Alcaraz has won four majors at the age of 21, a feat that none of the Big 3 could accomplish. Djokovic won his fourth Grand Slam at the age of 24, Nadal at 22, and Federer at 23. The 21-year-old is also doing it at a much faster pace. He has taken just 69 matches (59-10) at the Majors to win his fourth trophies. In comparison, Federer took 79 matches, Nadal needed 81 matches (68-13) and Djokovic played a whopping 134 matches (110-24).
Being a Spaniard, Alcaraz has always looked up to Nadal and has inevitably faced comparisons with his older compatriot since arriving on the senior circuit. Now, Nadal has declared that Alcaraz could be the best player ever.
My impression is we are talking about a player that is going to be one of the best [in] history. That's my feeling. [He is] a player with huge potential. Life can change quick, that's the truth. You never know what can happen in the future. But today if we have to predict what's going on in his career, we predict amazing things.Rafael Nadal said on the sidelines of the Nordea Open in Bastad
High praise, but also fully worthy of it.
Olympic glory next for Carlos Alcaraz?
While the French Open and Wimbledon titles count as two of the biggest trophies on the ATP tour most seasons, this year the biggest prize on offer is Olympic gold. Alcaraz is set to make his Games bow in Paris, where he is also going to play in the doubles alongside Nadal.
The last few months have not been kind to Nadal, who is well aware that he is in the final chapter of his career. He turned his attention to the Paris Olympics long ago in hopes of going out on a high. With the event set to take place at the same venue as Roland Garros, the odds are in his favor despite his struggles.
When that announcement of his partnership with Alcaraz in the men’s doubles was made, the odds of Spain winning the doubles gold were quickly slashed. As dominant as Nadal has been over the years, there is a good chance that he will lean on Alcaraz to be the more physically imposing player in their partnership — an idea that would have been brushed off as ludicrous a few years ago.
Four Grand Slam titles, five Masters 1000s, the first male teenager in the Open Era to be ranked World No. 1 — all of these achievements of Alcaraz might pale in comparison if he helps Nadal bring the curtains down on his career with the Olympic gold dangling around his neck. All that Alcaraz touches turns to gold these days and Nadal could very well benefit from his Midas touch in Paris.
In Case You Missed It:
- Mats Wilander urges everyone to come together to make Carlos Alcaraz “love tennis like a kid”
- Novak Djokovic feels support for Carlos Alcaraz or other emerging stars is more out of hate for him
- Rafael Nadal explains what makes Carlos Alcaraz even better than the Big Three
Stay Updated!
Anirudh Velamuri
(58 Articles Published)