By Erik Gudris | @ATNTennis | Sunday July 16, 2023
Could Carlos Alcaraz be the first player to combine the best qualities of the “Big Three?”
Novak Djokovic thinks so.
The 23-time major champion spoke about the sterling qualities of the 20-year-old Alcaraz who defeated Djokovic in five sets to win his first Wimbledon title.
“I haven't played a player like him ever, to be honest,” Djokovic said after the men’s final that Alcaraz won 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
The 36-year-old Djokovic was asked in his press conference what is the one quality that makes Alcaraz so good right now.
For Djokovic, the young Spanish star reminds him of both his fellow “Big Three” compatriots Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and even himself.
“I think 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 best of all three worlds.”
That’s high praise indeed for Alcaraz whose rapid rise to the top of the men’s game in many ways equals the “Big 3”, including the age when they each won their first major title.
Alcaraz was just 19 when he won his first major at last year’s US Open. That was the same age when Nadal won his first major at the 2005 Roland Garros. Djokovic was 20 when he won his first major at the 2008 Australian Open. Federer was a few years older at 22 when he won his first major at the 2003 Wimbledon championships.
“He's got this mental resilience and maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It's quite impressive. He's got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defense that we've seen with Rafa over the years,” Djokovic said on Alcaraz.
“And I think he's got some nice sliding backhands that he's got some similarities with my backhands. Yeah, two-handed backhands, defense, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too.”
While Djokovic didn’t go into specifics on how Alcaraz mirrors Federer’s game, its clear his rapid acclimation to grass court tennis, including winning Queen’s Club and now Wimbledon, shows how adaptive and responsive he is to any surface.
“Roger and Rafa obviously have their own 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,” Djokovic added.
When asked about Djokovic’s comments on his game, Alcaraz took it all as a great compliment.
“It's crazy that Novak said that, honestly. But I consider myself a really complete player. I think I have the shots, the strength physically, the strength mentally enough to (indiscernible) these situations. I don't know. Probably he's right. But I don't want to think about it. I'm going to think that I'm full Carlos Alcaraz, let's say, but probably I have some great ability from every player.”
Photo Credit: Getty