Wimbledon Skips a Generation!

When Novak Djokovic tipped his hat as he did after Spain’s 20 year old sensation, Carlos Alcaraz, lifted the prestigious Wimbledon trophy, he had signalled what many contended even before the French Open. The men’s game in the sport is in danger of annihilating what can now be called “the middle or the lost-forgotten generation.”

A few years ago, at the post match presentation of the Hopman Cup (2018 to be precise), Germany’s rising star, Alexander Zverev, partnering with Angelique Kerber when they lost to the Swiss pair of Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic in the final, had this to say only half in humour, “Roger, I told you before, try to relax. We want to win some trophies too.”

He then admitted, a little sheepishly, “It makes us, young players, look bad.”

Zverev was not wrong, then or now. Truer words were never spoken. While Zverev has retained his sense of humour while developing a physique to go with his towering 6 feet 6 inch height, there are Grand Slam goals still waiting for the Olympics gold medallist as there are for many in his age group.

The danger now in the wake of perception becoming reality between the French Open and Wimbledon is that Zverev and his contemporaries are now clearly in the firing line, as the fast rising 20 year olds are set to not only embarrass them but also, lead them to already start philosophising “the what-if’s” as it were.

And Zverev and the club that includes the likes of Russia’s Andrey Rublev, Greece’s Stephanos Tsitsipas, Austria’s Dominic Thiem, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev and Italy’s Matteo Berrettini among others are only in the age group that averages 25!

To put things in context, when Alcaraz came back into match contention and beat Djokovic at the prestigious lawn tennis tournament, he broke not only the Serb’s record for not losing a match on Centre Court in over a decade, but also, a 20-year-old stranglehold where no one else outside of the the big three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic, barring Andy Murray had been able to get their name up on the wall of champions at the premier grass court grand slam.

What began in 2003 turned into a potential moment of baton passing in 2023 and the telling moment was not the way Alcaraz won the match but how he played it.

Alcaraz showed he is a class above even amongst his fast rising peers that include Denmark’s Carlos Rune, and Italy’s Jannik Sinner who have already been talked about as having the potential to hold legend status.

The statistics were already stacked in the favour of history, despite the fact that Wimbledon’s favourite son, Federer, was no longer in action and Rafael Nadal had missed the French Open as well through injury.

Novak Djokovic, looking for his 24th Grand Slam title, already inched ahead of Federer at the French Open and now looking to equal Federer with an eighth Wimbledon title. It seemed that if the players of Zverev’s calibre were in awe of the generation of the big three, they were stupefied by the fast rising talent kicking at their heels.

There was almost a case of too much respect in the way some of the players matched up to Alcaraz on court before Wimbledon. Importantly, the precocious 20-year-old had revealed a major chink in the French Open final against Djokovic.

Even with a near all round game, he was not above being vulnerable and subject to nerves in a big match situation, pulling up when he could have played like he had nothing to lose.

The hunger in Alcaraz is part of the attraction as is his game that seemed a notch above those five years ahead in the line. Apart from Zverev who also largely plays a baseline game much like most of his generation players, Alcaraz in some ways is bringing back the ability to play a wide array of shots.

That also involves playing at the net besides having a strong baseline game and having the ability to chase down every ball, which Alcaraz was able to do astonishingly well, flummoxing the 36 year old Djokovic who emphasises his own supreme fitness and not surprisingly had court coverage advantage virtually unmatched to those much younger than him.

Zverev looked his best at the French Open in 2022. His game looked strong to take on the seemingly impossible challenge of halting an incorrigible Nadal at the red clay of Grand Slams until the intense semi-final was truncated after the German broke all the ligaments of his ankle and hobbled off crutches but not before being embraced by a concerned Nadal.

It was a chilling moment, for even the most dispassionate viewer, to hear Zverev’s howling screams in pain. But what is equally chilling is the manner in which he assessed how he faced up to Alcaraz en route to meeting Nadal even then.

This is what he had to say after his match against the younger Spaniard after the match before his encounter with Nadal, “Carlos is one of the best players in the world right now. It seems quite impossible to beat him; I knew I had to play my absolute best from the first point on and letting him go ahead in the match, getting confidence (for him) was going to be a very difficult thing for me to come back from and I’m happy I won in four sets. I am glad I didn’t have to go to a fifth set.

“I am not 20, 21 years old anymore. I am 25. I am at the stage where I want to win. I’m at the stage where I am supposed to win, as well.”

“Supposed to,” being a crucial epitaph of his generation because they are in danger of quickly being surpassed if they don’t lift their own game.

Alcaraz has shown an insatiable appetite for the game but also, a deep determination to learn quickly from his losses. “Never let it happen again,” seemed his mantra after the French Open.

He used the advice coming his way from nine time Wimbledon women’s single winner, Martina Navratilova, about using the net more on grass, in addition to developing his mindset to win at all costs. This makes Alcaraz no more a dangerous floater and instead a champion whose formidable perception has risen enormously, arguably more after Wimbledon than after his US Open win last year.

Djokovic was felled not only on court but also, off it as well when he acknowledged Alcaraz’s game. Djokovic candidly admitted, in a rare effusive speech after Wimbledon which seemed more like an admission than a compliment, the way he staggered with his thoughts and words.

Djokovic admitted he thought he had a few years on Alcaraz and that the Spaniard would only pose a major threat for him on clay, and that the younger player had adapted really fast and evolved quickly on grass much to his own surprise. If the Serbian was stunned, he should know.

Not for the first time in his career as he had done to other opponents, he had worn the same player down, a much younger player, barely three weeks ago at the French Open final. Here he was, staring into the future after his 9th Wimbledon final appearance and it was blurry.

There is a fine line between passion and self-destruction that sports athletes around the world toe. Tennis players are no exception. There is a hunger that is revealed sometimes in the way players react on court.

If there was a sense of desperation and a case of reality hitting him in the face when Djokovic slammed his racquet against the netcord when he lost the third game of the fifth set and broke it, Carlos was not immune to the rare emotion. He showed it when he nearly slammed the chair next to him when he sat down between games, frustrated when Djokovic climbed back in the course of the match and stretching it to a fifth set.

Fortunately, Carlos caught the chair from nearly toppling backward. More importantly, he held not only his nerves but also, the temperament that got him thus far in his embryonic career. Only 18 matches on grass court to conquer Wimbledon, Alcaraz is making the hallowed turf his.

A sign of confidence and backing his ability to the hilt was revealed when he was unafraid to use his creative utilisation of the drop shot to perfection even when a couple of times before, the shot failed to hold his conviction and did not cross over the net. But it is what has made him indomitable in the tournament and against Djokovic.

In some ways, he was beating Djokovic at his own game – running the opponent ragged side to side on the baseline, hitting the ball for a winner to perfection, knowing when to turn it on, and when to use guile to beat the younger but awestruck opponents.

For the generation spanning Zverev, while they have stood on the sidelines saluting to the big three – occasionally waging an epic win against all odds but more true to their calibre. Their confidence has been somewhat dented and eroded by having the big three constantly in their face and running them down on court more often than not. They have also been overawed by the greatness standing in their way almost to the point of a subconscious submission.

The meteoric pace of progress by the likes of Rune, Sinner and Alcaraz suggested that the generation of Zverev and company had better shed their inhibitions fast, lose the aura they attribute to their opponents. It is evident in their thinking arguably when they spot remarkable talent, if they are to reverse course history and steal a few Grand Slam before Alcaraz and his peers develop another formidable hold like the big three.

Zverev knew this even in 2022 when he said as part of that same post match interview, “I hope I can win it (the French Open) before he (Carlos) starts beating us all!”

Alcaraz has the game but also, he also showed he had panache at Wimbledon. For those who had not seen it, it was easy to see why he stood head and shoulders above the very promising generation that is in danger of being leapfrogged. He is unafraid and hungry.

And he leaves reverence off the court without being disrespectful. Now if Zverev and his peers can take a leaf from that latter part of Alcaraz’s playbook, and not be overawed by history to show more respect than is merited on court, a new, more riveting game might be afoot where the 25 year olds wage a battle to keep the 20 year olds from running away with the history books, the names etched in time.