Carlos Alcaraz could dominate tennis alongside Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Photo: Getty Images/Glyn Kirk
A young man lies on his back on Center Court with both fists raised to the sky. We've seen this image before, but in the past 20 years, only four men – essentially the men of the “big four” – have managed to celebrate the singles title on the sacred field.
After a spectacular Wimbledon final on Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz joined this exclusive club. Physically, the moment of his victory was reminiscent of the moment of Rafael Nadal's victory in 2008. Wimbledon posted a video on social media showing the similarities between the respective match point draws, as well as the instinctive reaction of the two Spaniards: they collapsed to the ground. /p>
More broadly, though, Alcaraz's victory is more reminiscent of 2003: the moment Roger Federer finally delivered on a promise he'd been hinting at for years. The day Federer beat Marc Philippoussis to win his first major title marked a turning point in men's tennis history. And this one too.
According to Novak Djokovic's post-match press conference, the new Wimbledon champion is made up of Roger, Rafa and Novak himself, as if the fairy godmother had put together the character traits for Baby Alcaraz. Djokovic went on to mention Nadal's “Spanish bull mentality” and his own sliding two-handed backhand.
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But the big parallel is not technical or even tactical. It's more about vibrations: the instant connection that Alcaraz achieves with the audience. Like Federer, who was known to have more crowd support when he played Andy Murray at London's O2 arena, he is embraced by every country as if he were the house favourite. Sunday's final drew a peak audience of 11.3 million viewers on the BBC, the highest since Murray's second win in 2016. Such is the British attraction to the young Spaniard.
Watching Alcaraz is a good time. He is not as ballet as Federer in his movements, more reminiscent of Nadal in his physical form of a caged animal. But the big thrill lies in its extraordinary array of options and attributes. No one, including his opponents, has any idea what Alcaraz is going to do next.
At some point, you'll gasp at the incredible acceleration he's created to turn around, chase back, and scoop ball out for a clear winner (the highlight of his French Open semi-final against Djokovic last month). Next time you'll wonder how he found the nerve to throw a bunch of drop shots in the final game when he applied for his first Wimbledon title.
Promo in the article: Carlos Alcaraz, background hero
A true connoisseur of sports, Alcaraz has a sense of history. Speaking to Spanish reporters after his victory, he admitted that – when the moment of truth arrived – his thoughts returned to Federer's disastrous blunder in the 2019 Wimbledon final. The one where Federer served to win, played the match with his racket at 40-15 and ruined everything.
“I thought, 'Please don't happen to me, don't happen,'” Alcaraz said. “But yes, at that moment I really thought about it. I tried to be calm, serene, so that there was nothing in my head. When I got up, I felt a tingling sensation in my legs. I was thinking about the first serve. But I tried to remain calm in order to complete the match.”
From his appearance, no one would have guessed that Alcaraz was experiencing any anxiety at all. Especially when he missed a drop shot in the first point of the game and then doubled down in the second, dropping Djokovic again. This requires serious preparation.
Federer won his second Wimbledon title in 2003. Photo: Getty Images/Mike Hewitt
If Alcaraz has one main characteristic – a sense of lightness that he exudes in any situation. The same when he holds a racket in his hands, a microphone or an autograph pen, which he gives out with amazing patience at the end of each match.
No one has ever seen Alcaraz feel uncomfortable in any environment. That's another trait he shares with Federer – the perfect heartthrob. At Sunday's presentation ceremony, he casually called the King of Spain “Felipe” – very similar to Roger. From someone else it might have seemed a bit cheeky, but from the side of the unassuming Alcaraz, familiarity seemed charmingly casual.
For Alcaraz and for tennis in general, this could be the start of something special. Yes, he already won the September US Open, but added to that was a huge star due to the absence of Djokovic associated with the vaccine.
Three decisive points Carlos Alcaraz did not dare to lose
Wimbledon 2003 Federer sent him 11 strokes over the next four years before Nadal caught up with him. It was the longest period of tour dominance since Rod Laver in the late 1960s.
While it would be too much to expect from Alcaraz, he will now start every event as a favorite because of his varied skill set applies equally well to all three surfaces. He looks too strong for any of his contemporaries right now, and only Djokovic, whose reaction to his failure is difficult to predict, can stand in the way.
Every member of the Big Four will tell you that the Wimbledon crown changed his reputation. This happened to Federer in 2003, Nadal in 2008, Djokovic in 2011 and Murray in 2013. And while Alcaraz may be from a different generation, his breakthrough in 2023 feels just as seismic.
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