Carlos Alcaraz might have reclaimed his No.1 spot in the ATP rankings at Queen’s on Sunday, however, it was neither him nor his opponent Alex de Minaur who were at the forefront of the conversation on that hot summer’s day.
Instead; whispers of the countdown to Alcaraz’s next meeting with the great Novak Djokovic and the hope that it may come on Wimbledon’s Centre Court in next month’s Men’s Singles Final.
The Serbian superstar has won the first two Grand Slam events of 2023, with his Australian Open and French Open wins fuelling the argument that he is the greatest male player of all-time.
CAN DJOKOVIC BE DETHRONED?
Now, the tennis world awaits anyone who might possibly stop Djokovic’s reign, with onlookers suspecting that Alcaraz may be the one to do it.
The Spanish star suggested in his media briefing at the historic Queen’s Club that he is now comfortable on grass and ready to attempt to win his first Wimbledon title, but can he stop Djokovic winning a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club?
“I see Novak as the main favourite. This win for me is not going to change that,” declared 20-year-old Alcaraz when asked if he believed he could win Wimbledon for the first time.
“What I can say is, I go into Wimbledon right now with a lot of confidence. That’s obvious.
“I saw a statistic that Novak has won more matches in Wimbledon than the other top 20 players. What can I say about that, you know?
“I mean, Novak is the main favourite, but I will try to play at this level, you know, to have chances, to beat him or make the final at Wimbledon. A lot of players are coming in with a lot of confidence, like (Alexander) Bublik.
“So, there are a lot of great players on grass. I have to play my best, you know, go to Wimbledon playing at this level. I will have chances, that’s for sure.”
ALCARAZ IS THE NEW HERO OF THE FANS
Alcaraz felt the love from the British crowds as sell-out audiences watched on at Queen’s, with some in the media room suggesting that the affection afforded to him is not often shown towards Djokovic from the London audience.
The Serbian has often had the fans cheering on his rivals when he has played against Roger Federer, Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon or the ATP Finals, when they were played in London.
Now, Alcaraz appears to be the new darling to the fans as he aims to knock Djokovic off his perch.
“I felt the love from the people since day one,” said Alcaraz, shrewdly side-stepping the question of whether he is more popular than Djokovic.
“For me, it’s really important and I hope in Wimbledon to feel the same energy, the same love that I felt during this week. You know, I hope it will help me to get through the rounds in Wimbledon.
“But I saw as well that Djokovic has never lost a match on Centre Court since I think 2013 when he lost against Andy (Murray), so it’s 10 years without losing a match in the Centre Court of Wimbledon.
“So it’s been crazy, but I hope to have the crowd behind me to have chances to change that statistic.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Alcaraz brings a presence on court with him that suggests he will be the next great champion in tennis, but is this summer when he will claim that crown?
In an epic battle at the French Open, Djokovic convincingly defeated Alcaraz with the young Spaniard admitting that nerves and tension played a role in the cramps he experienced during the third set.
Beating Djokovic in a best-of-five-set contest is a claim that few players have made in recent years, and if Alcaraz stands a chance, he must be prepared to face up to the grass court king on a Centre Court he has made his own.
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