Novak Djokovic Prepares for Wimbledon Final Against Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star, is gearing up for a tough Wimbledon men’s singles final against Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic praised Alcaraz as a ‘complete player’ and one of the greatest 21-year-olds in tennis.
In a rematch of the 2023 Wimbledon final, Alcaraz and Djokovic will face off, with Alcaraz aiming to join Rod Lever, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic as winners of both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Djokovic, on the other hand, is aiming to equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon singles titles.
Alcaraz has become just the fourth player in the Open Era to achieve multiple Wimbledon final qualifications at the age of 21 or less. Last month at Roland Garros, he became the youngest player in the Open Era to secure a major title on all three surfaces: grass, clay, and hard courts.
Speaking ahead of the game, Djokovic recalled his loss to Alcaraz in last year’s Wimbledon final, saying, ‘He already beat me here in a thrilling five-setter. I do not expect anything less than that. He is as complete a player as they come, so it is going to take the best of my abilities on the court overall to beat him on Sunday.’
Djokovic also praised Alcaraz’s well-balanced life on and off the court, his great team, and his family’s values. ‘He has a lot of charisma and carries himself well on and off the court with a smile. That is why people like him, and he is deservedly one of the greatest 21-year-olds we have ever seen in this sport. We are going to see a lot of him in the future, no doubt. He is going to win many more Grand Slams, but hopefully [on Sunday], maybe not this one,’ he added.
Djokovic mentioned that after facing a knee injury and undergoing surgery following the French Open, he had doubts about playing in this tournament. However, after some good practice sessions, he decided to compete. ‘The mentality is there, it is ever-present, and I am just very pleased and thankful to all the team members for helping me,’ he added.
Djokovic has a 3-2 lead over Alcaraz in their head-to-head battles. The second seed is chasing his first title of the season and arrived at Wimbledon after knee surgery in early June. He has performed well throughout the event, dropping just two sets en route to his 10th Wimbledon final.
