It’s clear that Carlos Alcaraz is without an equal among players born in the 1990s and later
After his achievements at Wimbledon, Alcaraz’s status is undeniable. He is a generational talent who has built his own unique brand of tennis while also taking the right lessons from the examples set by the Big Three. “I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “Roger and Rafa have their own strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces.
Such a difficult defeat places Djokovic’s career at an interesting point. This is by no means a passing of the torch; Djokovic won the first two grand slams of the year with relative ease. Over the past four years, Alcaraz is only the second player outside the Big Three to defeat Djokovic in a completed match at a grand slam tournament, after Daniil Medvedev in the final of the 2021 US Open.
Even after he was blitzed in straight sets by Medvedev, it is doubtful that Djokovic departed New York believing he had met his match. On Sunday, though, the players competed as equals. Djokovic certainly did not play his best tennis, squandering a crucial set point in the second-set tie-break and an early break point in the fifth set, but in the end he was right there. Had Alcaraz betrayed any hint of tension, the 23-time grand slam title winner would have pounced.
Instead, the 20-year-old offered an exhibition of outrageous shot-making in the defining game of his career so far. He followed up an outlandish drop shot-lob combination with a lunging backhand volley winner off a great Djokovic passing shot, before slamming the door shut with some great serving. “I thought I returned very well that last game, but he was just coming up with some amazing, amazing shots,” Djokovic said.
That another worthy rival has finally risen to join Djokovic at the top table could actually be helpful to his career longevity; a career that has been defined by rivals pushing him to new levels. Winning is always welcome, but after such a long time in the game, the novelty of continuing to dominate lesser opponents would have surely worn off at some point. Now, while the 36-year-old remains in top shape, he has the motivation of trying to obstruct a generational talent for as long as he can.
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