Nick Krygios hints at potential “changing of the guard” moment after Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon triumph over Novak Djokovic

For the first time since 2002, none of the first three Grand Slams have been won by the Big 3.

Nick Krygios hints at potential “changing of the guard” moment after Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon triumph over Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2024. (Via Imago)

Carlos Alcaraz‘s Wimbledon 2024 title win over Novak Djokovic was historic in more ways than one. Although it didn’t have the roller-coaster ride of last year’s final, it has created a lot of talking points.

Many tennis experts have claimed that it also indicated a ‘changing of the guard.’ Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, served as a BBC consultant during the grass Major and also had a similar opinion.

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Wow. Love Djokovic, but maybe this is the first time we can talk about a ‘changing of the guard’?!

Nick Krygios said on X

With Roger Federer already retired and both Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal close to hanging up their rackets, Djokovic has been carrying the torch for the old guard recently. However, this is the first time since 2005 that he has reached August without winning an ATP title in the season.

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In fact, he reached his first final of the year at Wimbledon. Before that, his best record in the season was three semifinal finishes at the Australian Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, and Geneva Open.

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Carlos Alcaraz learned from his mistakes and bettered his game to comprehensively beat Novak Djokovic

Over the last 19 years, Novak Djokovic has often won matches even when the odds were not in his favor. He has come back from the jaws of defeat, played through injuries, and turned around bad form at crucial moments. His presence on the court is intimidating. Recently, he made a very quick recovery from knee surgery to take part in Wimbledon.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (via Imago)

For Carlos Alcaraz, facing Djokovic in the Wimbledon final was a chance to prove he could stand on equal ground with the veteran. Which is why his win was impressive. After dominating two sets, he found himself challenged at the end of the third set but managed to come out on top in the tie-break.

On the same stage a year ago, Alcaraz missed a key drop shot against Djokovic which played a part in the contest going to five sets. This year, he stayed calm and he used a drop shot at a crucial point in the tie-break to set up a championship point, showing that he was very confident in his abilities.

Alcaraz is probably one of the most complete 21-year-old tennis has ever seen. Since breaking into the senior circuit, he has kept getting better with age. The improvements in his game are not just physical but also mental.

One major improvement has been Alcaraz’s serve. He changed his service motion to make it smoother and more efficient, which came in handy during the Wimbledon final. Djokovic also noticed this improvement after their match, acknowledging that the Spaniard’s better serve caught him by surprise.

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