BEHOLD A TIPPING POINT FOR TENNIS — AND THE BEST RIVALRY IN ALL OF SPORTS
There are no career limitations for Carlos Alcaraz, who has arrived as a force at 20, and he’ll next try to permanently knock out the G.O.A.T., Novak Djokovic, who still has life and game at 36
If the rolled lawn of a stately London club qualified as a jungle, then a caged animal was turned loose Sunday. You could hear Carlos Alcaraz coming, with the force and speed of a linebacker, spots of acne on his forehead. Didn’t he cramp up and crack just last month in Paris? That was ancient history for a 20-year-old who learned quickly from his pratfall, so unnerving tennis’ Greatest Player Ever that Novak Djokovic angrily destroyed his racket on a wooden net post.
“Boooooo,” hummed the patrons at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, where a changing of the guard was taking place with substantially more fury than the stuffy routine at Buckingham Palace.
Minutes later, as Alcaraz closed out his five-set revelation with serves that sounded like shots from a Glock, the same folks were chanting, “Carlos! Carlos!” The chorus might continue for another two decades in Europe and America and Down Under — all through a world rocked on its axis by the biggest new rivalry in sports, topping anything football and basketball and even futbol can offer.
We knew the breakthrough would happen someday. But not this quickly, with Alcaraz still a neophyte on grass and Djokovic about to distance himself as the all-time leader in men’s major titles. Wasn’t he going to win the Grand Slam in 2023? That’s ancient news, too, now that an epic Wimbledon final has served youth and reminded us that Djokovic is 36 with flecks of gray in his hair. A sport ruled by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic since Alcaraz was born in a small Spanish village, as the son of a tennis academy director, now is cradled in the paws of a lad who might be better than all of them.
“You inspire me a lot,” he said on Centre Court, addressing Djokovic after severing his run of four consecutive titles there. “I started playing tennis when watching you. Since I was born, you already were winning tournaments.”
Lugging the runner-up’s plate like it was a chunk of Limburger cheese, the vanquished champion managed a wry smile amid the humility of a royal setting. What else could Djokovic do, with the prim-and-proper Princess of Wales standing a few feet away and the audience filled with celebrities including Brad Pitt and James Bond (Daniel Craig)? “It’s amazing, 36 is the new 26,” Alcaraz continued, meaning well. “You made that happen in real.”
With those unintended fighting words, what we have is a forthcoming 15-round cage match over the next few seasons of Slams, with the assumption Djokovic is sufficiently jolted to seek hearty revenge at the U.S. Open. Sit back and enjoy a vintage competition that will decide, among other matters, whether the G.O.A.T. goes out on his own terms or is bludgeoned by a kid not yet even close to his prime. On the eve of the final, Djokovic recognized the challenge that awaited, saying of Alcaraz, “He has no weakness. He’s a really complete guy, really complete player. He’s amazing. He does nothing wrong on the court. Physically, he’s a beast. Mentally, he’s a beast. He’s very motivated. He’s young. He’s hungry. I’m hungry, too, so let’s have a feast.”
King Arthur would have been proud — and exhausted like the rest of us after a marathon stretching four hours and 42 minutes. Unequivocally, this was among the most compelling of Wimbledon finals, an emotional yo-yo that saw Djokovic dominate a 6-1 first set before Alcaraz recovered to win a second-set tiebreaker against the man who doesn’t lose tiebreakers. After lunging and powering a backhand for a winner, Alcaraz grinned, cupped his ear, looked at the crowd and demanded applause, shaking his fist as he prepared for the third set. It was clear he didn’t intend to lose, winning one game that lasted 32 points and 27 minutes, and while Djokovic refused to fold before forcing a deciding set, all that remained was the knockout.
And a startling mouthful of praise from a pig-headed narcissist — there, I said it — who never uttered such things about Federer or Nadal on his way to 23 Slams. “I haven’t played a player like him. Ever,” Djokovic said. “He’s proven that he’s the best player in the world. No doubt. … 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. I think he’s got basically (the) best of all three worlds.”
Anyone who watched the masterpiece without bias must agree. Alcaraz has won two of the last three majors he has entered — he missed the Australian Open with an abdominal injury and lost the French Open final to Djokovic. He has conquered that skittish defeat, a signal that nothing can break him. He knows what awaits him in New York, a wounded great who wants his No. 1 ranking back. He’s ready for another brawl. Am I ready? Are you? “I think I’ve shown I can face him on the biggest stages in the biggest matches,” Alcaraz said. “I’m ready to move forward and be the big rival of Novak.”
Notice how no one mentions Nadal. Barely able to walk these days after the relentless injuries of a star-crossed career, the Spaniard realizes the sport — and their native land — belongs to the newbie. “A very strong hug, and enjoy the moment Champion!!!” he wrote on social media, still sidelined after hip and abdominal surgery. Mixing 105-mph forehands and blistering serves with finesse, guile and perseverance — does he practice those drop shots in his sleep? — Alcaraz is so advanced at such a raw age that we’re left to ask about limitations. Are there any? Providing he stays healthy and avoids the burnout and mental-health issues that have befallen other young stars — and so far, there are no hints he’ll disappear like Naomi Osaka or find legal trouble like Boris Becker, the youngest male to win a Wimbledon title — his two Slams should escalate toward double figures when no one but Djokovic is on his level.
“Didn’t get down, didn’t give up,” Alcaraz said of his comeback after the early deficit. “We made great rallies, great points. It was a long, long match. Long sets. It was the mental part that allowed me to stay there.
“It’s a dream come true.”
The tipping point, the passing of a baton in the English wind, was official when Djokovic began to cry on the court. Finishing his post-match interview, he saluted the winner once again. “I thought I’d have trouble with you on clay and hardcourts. And now on grass. It’s amazing how you adapt to surfaces,” he said, looking at Alcaraz. “As for me, you never like to lose matches like this. This is a tough one to swallow because you are so close. I lost to a better player. I have to move on, hopefully stronger.”
Then he smiled while noticing his family watching from a Centre Court box, including his wife and childhood sweetheart, Jelena. They have withstood “stressful” times in recent years, he said, as Djokovic refused vaccination for Covid-19 and was deported from Australia early last year. “It’s nice to see my son still there, still smiling,” he said before breaking down and waving. “I love you. Thank you for supporting me, and I’ll give you a big hug … and we can all love each other.”
The microphone was handed off to Alcaraz, who has no such family or vaccine concerns and lives a carefree life so far. He looked up to the royal box and noted the presence of King Felipe VI of Spain.
“When I played in front of you twice, twice I won,” said Alcaraz, now known as King Carlos. “I hope you are coming more. It is really special and I have to thank you for coming and supporting.”
As likable in a crowd as he is monstrous with a racket, the new champ won’t lack for support or eyeballs. He kicked a ball into the stands before taking a victory lap with the golden trophy, waving and blowing kisses all the way. Funny how the sport’s long-appointed Big Three just shrunk to one kid with pimples and facial scruff.
“Smiling for me,” he said, “is the key of everything.”
We smile with him. Until about 2040, let’s hope.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.