Carlos Alcaraz grows in confidence as he dethrones Novak Djokovic as World No. 1 days before Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz wins his maiden Tour title on grass, propelling him to the World No. 1 spot ahead of Novak Djokovic, with Wimbledon just around the corner.

Carlos Alcaraz grows in confidence as he dethrones Novak Djokovic as World No. 1 days before Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic (Credits: ESPN & Sports Illustrated)

It has been a memorable week for Carlos Alcaraz in London. The 20-year-old won his maiden Tour title on grass, and that too was a trophy as illustrious as the Queen’s Club Championship. Up against Aussie youngster Alex de Minaur, the Spaniard clinched the title 6-4, 6-4 to win his fifth title of the season.

As a result of his victory, he will replace Novak Djokovic in the ATP rankings when they are updated tomorrow. The ranking swap might be significant for the record books, but Carlos isn’t much motivated by it. With the next big event being the 2023 Wimbledon, where Novak is the four-time defending champion, the Spaniard didn’t go overboard in celebration. 

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“I’m number one but my chances at Wimbledon don’t change because of that. I mean, Novak is coming to Wimbledon. Right now I’m feeling better than the beginning of the week, that’s obvious.Of course, recovering the No. 1 before Wimbledon, it gives you extra motivation, it gives you extra confidence coming into Wimbledon. But it doesn’t change too much if I play Wimbledon as the No. 2 or the No. 1,” said Alcaraz after his win over de Minaur.

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The Spaniard had been questioned for his poor form on the surface up until now. With no final appearance before this, Alcaraz silenced his critics in style, winning the prestigious ATP-500 event. Not only did he add the trophy to his cabinet, but he also reclaimed the number-one rank and will start his 26th week at the top of the rankings. 

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Carlos Alcaraz yet again matches the greats of the game

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz poses with the 2023 Queen’s Club Championships trophy (Credits: Twitter/TennisHQ)

The win over Alex de Minaur made Carlos Alcaraz the winner of Tour titles on all surfaces. Not only does he now have an ATP-500 title on each surface, but he is also one of the youngest to do so. The only active players to have achieved this feat include Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. Among the trio, Alcaraz is the youngest ever to do so.

Djokovic was 24 when he achieved it; Nadal was 22, and Roger Federer was 21, but Alcaraz accomplished it at the age of 20. The win in Queen’s will certainly be a confidence booster for him, while Djokovic will consider his threat seriously for Wimbledon. The Serb, who is looking for his 24th Grand Slam title and his eighth Wimbledon trophy, has a dearth of real challengers.

With that being said, there is no denying the fact that Djokovic is the fan favorite for this year’s Championships. With two out of two Major trophies won this year and now leading the race for most Grand Slam titles, Nole is definitely the outright favorite. But who doesn’t like some challenge during the fortnight of one of the biggest events of the season

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