Wimbledon men's final: Change of guard or another walk in the park?

• Alcaraz is one of the few next gen players who already has a grand slam under his belt, having beaten Casper Rudd in the finals in US Open 2022.
• Djokovic has not lost on the Centre Court in the last 10 years, a 45 match winning streak.
• Coming into Wimbledon Alcaraz has been in impeccable form, after winning the Queen’s Club Championship, his first major title on grass.

If you are an ardent tennis fan, there is a Mission Impossible you will be glued to this Sunday evening. However, instead of seeing Tom Cruise perform hair raising stunts, you will be glued to your TV set watching a David versus Goliath story on the hallowed Centre Court of Wimbledon.

The matchup will be between seven time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, and the 20-year old wonderkid from Spain - Claros Alcaraz. The task for the youngster isn't going to be easy by any means as Djokovic has not lost on the Centre Court in the last 10 years, a 45 match winning streak. In the Wimbledon 2019 final, he beat the great Roger Federer after coming back from two match points. Djokovic has beaten Federer in two other Wimbledon finals, which just goes to show how good he is at Wimbledon.

But all eyes will be glued on the guy who can steal Djokovic’s thunder. Why exactly is he such a big deal?

A role model in Rafael Nadal

Born in El Palmar (Murcia), a small village with around 24,000 inhabitants, in Spain, the Alcaraz family has a strong connection with tennis. His grandfather was the founding member of a tennis club, and his father, who was a semi-professional player, achieved the position of runner-up in the Spanish Championship. Additionally, his father also operated a tennis academy, further emphasising the family's involvement and passion for the sport.

Not surprisingly, his role model was Nadal. “I want to be like Rafa. My game is more like Roger Federer's, but my role model is Rafa because my game is more suited to clay,” he had said.

On the right track…

Alcaraz is one of the few next gen players who already has a grand slam under his belt, having beaten Casper Rudd in the finals in the US Open 2022. Djokovic did not play the tournament because he had refused to take the Covid vaccine.

In this year’s French Open, where his idol Nadal did not play because of an injury, he was certainly a favourite, but his semi final clash against Djokovic ended rather sadly because he suffered from cramps, which he later said was due to ‘tension and nerves’. However, to his credit, he did not retire hurt, and played till the end, showing once again why he is being touted as a future great.

The grass is greener

Coming into Wimbledon Alcaraz Has been in impeccable form, after winning the Queen’s Club Championship, his first major title on grass. With it he also returned to the number 1 position in the ATP ranking, pushing Djokovic to the second.

“I have a lot of confidence to win Wimbledon this year,” he had said after the tournament. But he himself would know, as everyone else would, that for that he would need to beat Novak Djokovic, who has won the Wimbledon four times in the last five years. The only time he did not win it was because the championship was not held due to Covid in 2020.

Alcaraz, thus has an uphill task lined up. Unlike the French Open, he is not the ‘favourite’ here, which will help him play more freely. Also, the way he outplayed Medvedev in the semis will make him even more confident. His fearsome forehand with considerable power may allow him to penetrate Novak Djokovic's defense. Furthermore, his serve and overall game have reached a level where he can swiftly conclude points even against the world's top defender.

Will history repeat itself?

History may repeat itself on Sunday. Or it may not. Let us go back to a 4th round clash in Wimbledon 2001. At the age of 19, Roger Federer delivered an outstanding performance, surpassing the seven-time Wimbledon champion Pete Sampras. In a thrilling match, he triumphed over Sampras with a score of 7-6(7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5.

This victory held great significance for Federer as it not only showcased his exceptional skills, but also marked his first-ever win on the prestigious Centre Court. It was also the beginning of Federer’s dominance on grass. “I would say Federer put elegance into play on grass,” none other than Alcaraz has remarked. In a similar change of guard, in 1988, Steffi Graf ended Martina Navratilova’s six-year reign as Wimbledon champion.

After it was confirmed that Djokovic will play Alcaraz in the finals, Djokovic said, “He's young and hungry, I'm hungry too. So let's have a feast."