Carlos Alcaraz emerges as true leader of NextGen with Wimbledon takedown of Novak Djokovic

By Akshay Ramesh: Novak Djokovic has often taken potshots at talks about NextGen in tennis. The Serb, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, stressed time and again that it’s the Big 3 that is the NextGen. Even after winning the Wimbledon semi-final against 21-year-old Jannik Sinner last week, Djokovic joked about 36 being the new 26.

Men’s singles tennis had been longing for a young superstar for quite some time. The era of the Big 3 was so dominant that it produced some of the greatest rivalries and duels at the biggest of stages. Between them, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic shared as many as 65 Grand Slam titles.

While tennis fans enjoyed Nadal, Djokovic and Federer winning Grand Slams at will, the longing for a young champion who could go toe-to-toe with the Big 3 turned into desperation.

At 36, Federer was winning Grand Slams at will. Nadal, at 36, was dominating NextGen stars. Only Dominic Thiem, at his peak, managed to challenge him on clay. Djokovic has been a different beast, over the last few years, fending off challenges from NextGen Brigade at will.

The likes of Thiem, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and, to an extent, Nick Kyrgios, have all tried to challenge the Big 3 but with very little success.

Younger stars have shown more promise. The likes of Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Holger Rune, Sinner, Lorenzo Musetti among others have threatened to make that big bang at the highest level but the breakthrough hasn’t come yet.

DIFFERENT BEAST

However, Carlos Alcaraz seems to be a different beast. When he broke into the scene in 2020, there was genuine hype and excitement around the then teenager. Alcaraz never sold himself short. He spoke about his ambitions of being the best in the world and playing the best in the world at the biggest of the stages.

Alcaraz won the US Open as a teenager but it came with an asterisk as the tournament went ahead without Djokovic while Nadal suffered a 4th-round exit at the season’s last Grand Slam after having won the Australian Open and French Open last year.

However, with the Wimbledon takedown of Novak Djokovic, who is probably at the peak of his prowess, Alcaraz has firmly established himself as the leader of the NextGen.

The 4-hour and 42-minute epic on Sunday at the Center Court in Wimbledon felt like the passing of the baton. Djokovic, a 7-time champion in Wimledon, was pushed to the limits by Alcaraz, who was playing only his 13th match at the grass-court Grand Slam.

Alcaraz went toe-to-toe with Djokovic in the epic final. He was blown away in the first set and had to save a set point in the second. But Alcaraz did not throw in the towel. The early setback only made him motivated to make sure he did not disappoint the London crowd.

Djokovic is someone who is known for bringing out his best when his back is against the wall. The likes of Tsitsipas have learned it the hard way.

Even when he was decimated 6-1 in the third set on Sunday, Djokovic didn’t go away. Chasing Federer’s all-time Wimbledon record of 8 titles, the fire was burning bright. However, Alcaraz rose above Djokvovic’s burning desire, denying the Serb a chance to equal his idol.

LEARNING QUICKLY

Only a month ago, he was blown away in 4 sets by Djokovic in the French Open semi-final. The pressure of facing the Serb, at one of the biggest stages amid so much hype, showed on Alcaraz as he suffered cramps during the 4-set defeat. It was a tame end to a match that promised so much.

Cut to July, Alcaraz did not let nerves affect him. The sustained quality of shot-making, his defence, and his mental toughness under immense pressure reminded Djokovic of himself, reminded Djokovic of two of his biggest competitors – Nadal and Federer.

The drop shots, the passes, the two-handed backhand winners were flowing even in the final set of the marathon on Sunday. Alcaraz did not give Djokovic an inch in his final service game, showcasing that closing out the biggest of matches is not going to daunt him.

SPANISH BULL MENTALITY

In fact, Djokovic feels Alcaraz seems to have got the best from the Big 3 and that he has never faced someone like him.

“People have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa and myself. I would agree with that,” Djokovic said, marvelling his opponent’s show on Sunday.

“He’s got this ‘Spanish bull’ mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defense that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years.”

Djokovic was genuinely surprised by Alcaraz’s rise on grass. Before the 2023 season, Alcaraz had very little success on grass. However, he won the Queen’s and kept improving with every game at Wimbledon.

Not many gave Alcaraz a chance when he came up against Djokovic, who was on a 34-match winning streak. But the manner in which Alcaraz was able to problem solve during the 5-set final reminded Djokovic of himself.

“He’s got some nice sliding backhands that (have) some similarities with my backhands. Two-handed backhands. Defense. Being able to adapt. That has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic has had storied rivalries with the likes of Federer, Nadal and Andy Murray over the years and they have only made the sport richer. At 36, the Serb faces the prospect of having another familiar foe, a 20-year-old who is hungry for greatness.