Novak Djokovic Reveals What Makes Carlos Alcaraz a Difficult Opponent at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have played in the last two Wimbledon finals.

Novak Djokovic Reveals What Makes Carlos Alcaraz a Difficult Opponent at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (via The Tennis Letter)

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz participated in a practice on Centre Court at Wimbledon on the eve of the tournament. With microphones on, the Serb gave reasons behind the difficulties of playing Alcaraz at Wimbledon.

Djokovic, who has won Wimbledon seven times, believes that the balls at SW19 are more slower than what they were previously. This makes players like Alcaraz difficult to beat at the net. Djokovic said on-court at Centre Court:

The Wimbledon balls are slower than they used to be. It truly becomes challenging to overcome players like Carlos Alcaraz when they come to the net.

Djokovic and Alcaraz have played the last two Wimbledon finals, with the Spaniard winning both of those matches. They are projected to face each other in the finals once again this year at SW19. If they do that, this will be the first time a pair will play three back to back Wimbledon finals since Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic in the same half of Wimbledon once again

Jannik Sinner begins his quest for a first Wimbledon title with an opening match against fellow Italian Luca Nardi. The top-ranked player in the PIF ATP Rankings could face a major test later in the tournament. A potential semi-final against Novak Djokovic looms large.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic (X/The Tennis Letter)
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic (X/The Tennis Letter)

Djokovic, seeded sixth this year, is aiming for an eighth Wimbledon title. He starts his campaign against Alexandre Muller of France. This is his lowest seeding at Wimbledon since 2018.

Djokovic has a strong record against Sinner at the All England Club. He beat him in the 2022 quarter-finals and the 2023 semi-finals. If the draw plays out as expected, Djokovic is on track to meet British No. 1 Jack Draper in the quarter-finals.

Draper begins his run against Argentina’s Sebastian Baez. In the third round, he may face Halle champion Alexander Bublik. Czech teenager Jakub Mensik is projected to meet Draper in the fourth round, having already defeated him in Miami this year.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon draw revealed

In the bottom half of the Wimbledon draw, Carlos Alcaraz will face veteran Fabio Fognini in the opening round. The 22-year-old Spaniard is on an impressive 18-match winning streak, the longest of his career. A potential quarter-final clash with eighth seed Holger Rune could await him.

Carlos Alcaraz Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz (image via Roland Garros)

Should Alcaraz advance past Fognini, his next opponent will be a qualifier. He will face either Oliver Tarvet or Leandro Riedi, both of whom are making their Grand Slam main draw debuts.

Alexander Zverev, ranked World No. 3, begins his campaign against Arthur Rinderknech. The German is looking to reach the quarter-finals, where he could meet American Taylor Fritz. Fritz has had the upper hand in their recent encounters. He leads Zverev 8-5 in their head-to-head record and has won the last five meetings. That winning run began with their match at Wimbledon last year.

Also Read: “They’ll Knock You Down,” Jimmy Connors Advises Jannik Sinner to Be ‘Careful’ After Defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in French Open Final