For Alcaraz, It Could Be An Extended Stay At The Top

He is being hailed as the next all time great, the next superstar of tennis and for once the heady, fulsome praise is not just undeserved hype. Carlos Alcaraz is not a meteor who will rise and fall. He has it in him to set all kinds of records. At 20 the world is indeed his oyster.

It is not just what he has achieved by winning his first Wimbledon and second Grand Slam title. He has effectively ended the reign of the Big Three and has heralded a new era in which he will be the standard-bearer.

And the manner in which he has conducted himself shows that he is not one to let success go to his head. In fact he is determined to quash any suggestions that his epic triumph at Wimbledon represents the dawn of a new era despite all indications that tennis has witnessed a generational shift.

Cautious and attempting to keep a lid on great expectations Alcaraz who became the youngest champion at Wimbledon since Boris Becker in 1985 said, “I don’t feel that I have confirmed something that was expected by everyone. I try to avoid what people say and what they expect because in the end it is pressure that I put on myself.’’

Mature words from someone so young symbolising a balanced head on broad shoulders and with feet firmly planted on Mother Earth. As if his sublime skills on court have not endeared him to tennis fans, his attitude is the kind that should make him stay at the top for a long time.

In the end it had to be this prodigiously gifted artist from Spain to end the supremacy of the Big Three at Wimbledon. From 2003 to 2022 Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal between them won the title 17 times with Andy Murray chipping in with two wins. The tournament was not held in 2020 because of Covid. Only a youngster with a special talent could end this fabulous run and there is little doubt that Alcaraz fits the bill.

Over the last few years there were others of the GenNext generation who gave indications that they could end the reign of the Big Three. But while they won numerous titles on the circuit, including Masters 1000 and ATP Tour finals they came a cropper in the Grand Slams.

The victories of Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev at the US Open in 2020 and 2021 turned out to be false alarms. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev were two others who flattered only to deceive. Thiem and Zverev in fact have faltered since and have slipped badly in the rankings.

Except for Medvedev who briefly held the top spot last year none of the others made it to the top of the ATP rankings which was dominated by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. More recently players like Casper Ruud, Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev and Jannik Sinner have climbed up the rankings but again in their case their showing at Grand Slam events has been fairly mediocre. They all continue to be in the top ten but have given no indication of ever scaling the peak.

Alcaraz and Djokovic have been swapping the No 1 spot a few times this year but now the Spaniard is firmly perched on the top and initial indications are that he will be there for an extended period.

Djokovic has been effusive in his praise saying that he has “the best of all three worlds,’’ cloning the talents of himself, Federer and Nadal. He has also hailed his “Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness,’’ adding that in this regard he sees similarities in the renowned fighting spirit and incredible defence of Nadal.

“I haven’t played someone like him ever to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own obvious strengths and weaknesses but Carlos is a very complete player. He has amazing capabilities to adapt and that is the key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces,’’ Djokovic said.

Record breaking is second nature for Alcaraz who over the past year has set several significant marks. When he won a maiden Slam at the US Open last year he became the youngest champion of a Major since Nadal at the 2005 French Open.

At 19 he was also the youngest man to ascend to the world No 1 rankings. He is just the fifth man in the Open era to win multiple titles at the Majors before turning 21 after Mats Wilander, Bjorn Borg, Becker and Nadal. He is also only the sixth multiple Grand Slam titlist in the last two decades after Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

One can be sure he will keep adding to this records tally in the coming years as he establishes his supremacy in the world of tennis.

So where does all this leave Djokovic who was hurting after losing a close match. “It is a tough one to swallow when you are so close’’ as he put it. One can be sure he will be around at the US Open and beyond trying to extend his record of 23 Grand Slam titles.

He has already spoken of his hunger for more success and with Federer retired and Nadal out for an extended period because of injury he obviously sees only Alcaraz as his serious rival. And who knows? It could be another Alcaraz vs Djokovic final at the US Open. The prospect alone is enough to whet the appetite of tennis fans.