Djokovic describes scared Alcaraz as Spanish bull ‘He is me, Federer, Nadal rolled into one’

After a disappointing – okay devastating – loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland-Garros, one in which the Spaniard’s body completely let him down, the 20-year-old didn’t think he belonged with Djokovic on the biggest stages of the sport.

A month later, he changed his mind about what is possible for him as a tennis player.

“Before this match, I thought I can’t beat Novak,” Alcaraz admitted on Sunday after his 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the 23-time Grand Slam champion. “That’s obvious. But after this epic match I think differently about Novak in the way that probably in other tournaments, in other Grand Slams, I will remember this moment.”

Prior to Sunday's final, Alcaraz’s lone Grand Slam had come at the 2022 US Open, with Djokovic sitting on the sidelines. So it isn’t surprising that Alcaraz wondered if he could make a breakthrough with the Serbian legend staring across the net at him on Wimbledon’s Centre court.

 

“Probably it change my mind a little bit after this match,” Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz showed no signs of fatigue across the four-hour and 42-minute contest that was pressure-packed from start to finish.

“I am a totally different player than French Open,” he told reporters. “I grew up a lot since that moment. I learned a lot from that moment.

“As I said before the final, I took a lesson from that match. I did something different before the match. I prepared a little bit differently mentally before the match. I could deal with the pressure, the nerves, better than I did in French Open.”

Asked what Alcaraz, who became the youngest Wimbledon men’s singles champion since 1986, learned about himself during Wimbledon, he harped on the same sentiment.

“That I’m really capable of doing the things that I did today,” he said. “Probably before this match, I thought that I wasn’t ready to beat Djokovic in five sets, an epic match like this.”

 

With confidence growing by leaps and bounds, Alcaraz promises to be a formidable threat at every major he plays going forward. His peers – and Djokovic – best be ready.

Djokovic on the other hand believes Alcaraz possesses the “best of all three worlds”, cloning the talents of himself, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal.

Asked what makes the 20-year-old Alcaraz such a threat, the Serb star explained that he has duplicated his weapons, as well as Federer and Nadal — the storied ‘big three’ of tennis who between them have 65 Grand Slam titles.

“I think he’s got basically the best of all three worlds,” said Djokovic.

“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.”

 

Hailing Alcaraz for his “Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness”, Djokovic sees similarities in the renowned fighting spirit and “incredible defense” of Nadal.

Alcaraz’s backhands are straight out of the Djokovic playbook.

“That’s been my personal strength for many years,” he said.

“I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own obvious 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.”

In the immediate aftermath of his loss on Sunday, Djokovic was full of praise for Alcaraz.