Alcaraz cheers to the Center Court crowd, eager to see the new champion and pass the torch. Photo: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
The torch has been passed. And rarely, if ever, did tennis look so radiantly glowing. Carlos Alcaraz, by usurping Novak Djokovic in four hours and 42 minutes of crazy theater on Center Court, became not only the champion the sport craved, but the icon it needed. For the first time since 2002, the Wimbledon Gold Challenge Cup is not in the hands of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray. On the contrary, it belongs to one magnificently self-confident Spaniard whose future greatness knows no bounds.
Fighting for a title here is an experience that even multiple winners must find depressing. Except that Alcaraz took the final act with the kind of enthusiasm he made his calling card, luring Djokovic into the net with one delightful shot and then throwing the ball back over his head. At 20, he was playing his opponent, one supposedly irresistible playing force, like a puppeteer. One touching volley and two resounding pitches later, he lay crouched on the lawn in bliss while everyone from Brad Pitt to King Felipe VI of Spain rose to greet this fearless prodigy.
Alcaraz, the youngest men's champion since Boris Becker, still refers to himself as a “boy”. But such is his charm, he barely betrays a hint of immaturity. Where he combines ingenuity with incredible power in his playing, he exudes humility and diplomacy whenever he has a microphone in hand. Once he realized his status as the master of everything he reviewed, he promised his august audience never to forget his All England membership card, recalling that even Federer had recently been barred from entry by an overzealous security guard.
He bewitched this place. While Djokovic, irritated by the lack of love, used a full range of provocative gestures, sending the crowd the most bitter and ironic kisses before ending his racket on the net, Alcaraz claimed higher positions. On many occasions, when Djokovic slipped on the grass, the youngster stepped forward with genuine concern for his well-being. While the Serb was testing his patience with a seven-minute break in the toilet, Alcaraz was bouncing on his tiptoes, ready to resume the fight. There couldn't be a more obvious sentimental favorite than if we watched it in his grandfather's living room in Murcia.
The robes of the tennis aristocracy fit easily on the muscular shoulders of Alcaraz. Prince George and Princess Charlotte had little doubt as to who they supported and threw up their hands in glee as Djokovic landed his final backhand. Except that this victory was celebrated far beyond the boundaries of royalty. When Alcaraz appeared on the southwest balcony of Center Court with the trophy, a carpet of people stretched across the manicured acres of Wimbledon, all looking to witness a real generational change.
By defeating Novak Djokovic and ending 19 years of Fab Four dominance in men's singles, Carlos Alcaraz has declared himself the new tennis icon
It was an epoch-making moment, the day when an outstanding young talent decided he had seen enough of an elderly statesman accumulating prizes for fun. So much was at stake for Djokovic in this matchup: 24th Major to join Margaret Court on the all-time list, Wimbledon's 8th triumph to equal Federer, chasing a calendar Grand Slam. But Alcaraz did not want this, inflicting a blow to Djokovic's superiority that was as dramatic as the one that left him defenseless in goal.
While Djokovic has said he looks forward to many more fights with this exciting prodigy, history shows that he is optimistic. The deposed champion is 36 years old and his period of potential dominance is rapidly shrinking. Now this is the world of Alcaraz, as you can tell by the commercial suitors fluttering towards it like moths to a lantern. In addition to his friendship with Anna Wintour, he has a lucrative deal with Louis Vuitton. But you hope he doesn't make it all over Hollywood yet. Much better if he stays, according to the owner of Cambio de Tercio, the London tapas temple he and his family visit for two weeks, “a really good boy.”
The signs are favorable. Alcaraz arrived at his press conference in Panama looking more like he stumbled from a festival than after almost five hours of grueling struggle against the most ferocious opponent tennis has ever known. He wasn't even born the last time someone outside of the “Big Four” claimed the Wimbledon title. And yet, in his first summer on the grass, he sauntered through the All England Gate with the intention of announcing that it was now his hacienda.
Alcaraz would be arrogant. He simply radiates confidence commensurate with his otherworldly talent. Who is ready to challenge him in the next decade? Who is able to emulate its versatility on all surfaces? For now, this debate can wait. Suffice it to say that the sport has finally found someone who refuses to fear the great men he walks among.
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This is an invaluable discovery. The men's game had become so lopsided that before this bravura performance by Alcaraz, 61 out of 72 major tournaments had been won by just three players. The auras of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were so overwhelming that, ironically, Alcaraz became not only the first person born in this century to win Wimbledon, but also the first to be born since 1987. The French and Australian Opens are still waiting for a champion under aged 36. It would not be an exaggeration to say that tennis had skipped a generation before the advent of Alcaraz.
Many have tried to rewrite the storyline only to crash against the rock of Djokovic's granite will. But Alcaraz decided that his own story would have a different ending. According to one anecdote, when he came to Wimbledon in 2019 for a casual practice session, his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero introduced him to Federer. “Hit hard,” he told the Swiss. “The child will be fine.” This is a lesson he took to heart. Throughout his furious exchanges with Djokovic, he has endured everything thrown at him and returned it with a vengeance.
You might think Alcaraz's soul would still be scarred. After all, it's only been six weeks since he was burned in his first big match against Djokovic, hobbled over two sets in Paris with cramps. But Alcaraz has shown here that he is not one of those who are burdened by unpleasant memories. He said that he won this title not for his peers, but for himself. And very correct. With this monumental achievement, he proved that in terms of flair, courage and complete disdain for reputation, he is unparalleled.
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