4 hours later And after 42 minutes of fighting, Carlos Alcaraz fell to the grass and rolled around in celebration as the crowd cheered. He just did the previously unthinkable. He handed Novak Djokovic his first loss at Wimbledon since 2017, winning his second major title in the process. His combination of joy and disbelief was palpable.
Alcaraz has dreamed of beating Djokovic in a tournament ever since he first picked up a racket as a child. Now it has come true.
Djokovic was seeking his record-equalling 24th major title and eighth at Wimbledon, and he was the heavy favorite to win the tournament. He looked blank as he slowly headed to the net to congratulate Alcaraz, who was 16 years his junior. Alcaraz is a legitimate rival and a serious obstacle in Djokovic’s quest for history.
It didn’t take long for speculation about a changing of the guard in men’s tennis to begin. Alcaraz didn’t add much fuel to the fire in his press conference immediately afterward, but he acknowledged the significance of what he had achieved for himself and his teammates.
“I think it’s good for the new generation to beat him and make them think they can do it too,” Alcaraz said after the game. “It’s good for me and I think for (all) the young players.”
But while others may have thought Djokovic’s time at the top was coming to an end, he had other plans. He won his 24th major title less than two months later at the US Open. After winning three major titles of the season and the year-end ATP Finals, he finished the season ranked No. 1 and publicly stated his goal of winning the “Golden Slam” (four major titles and an Olympic gold medal) in 2024.
Midway through the 2024 season, the 37-year-old Djokovic is nowhere near where he wants to be. Never mind the majors. Djokovic has yet to win a title at any level this year or even appear in a final.
He lost to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals at the Australian Open and withdrew before the quarterfinals of the French Open due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery on 6 June, and although there were significant doubts about his ability to play at Wimbledon, he practiced on the pitch all week. He told the BBC on Monday that if he believed he had a chance to “fight for the title” he would run.
It is increasingly likely that Djokovic will play, but he is not considered a favorite to win the All England Club. With the absence of 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal, who has said this could be his last season on tour, and Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022, it appears the guard may finally be changing. Top men’s tennis. The stars of tomorrow are now almost present and only a few players can compete in certain tournaments.
“It’s a really exciting time (for men’s tennis),” Brad Gilbert, current coach of Coco Gauff and former coach of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, told ESPN earlier this month.
“(The French Open) was one of the first tournaments I played without an unlocking tool, and I think that’s how things work. Before, I was always the joker at Wimbledon, but now I’m out on the field. Same thing with the Australian Open. At the French Open it was Nadal. , now they go out to the stadium with luck. It was the casino before, and the house always wins in many of these slams… but there was no overwhelming favorite (in Paris), and maybe that’s how things are going. Will.”
If Djokovic withdraws Before Monday’s action, it will be the first Wimbledon main draw without a member of the Big Three (Djokovic, Nadal and Federer) since 1998. And that trio has not only played at Wimbledon, they have collectively dominated.
In fact, last year Alcaraz became just the second of three men to win the men’s title at this tournament since 2002, joining Andy Murray. The 37-year-old Murray, a three-time major champion who has won Wimbledon twice and is considered the fourth-best player of the past 20 years, is waiting until the “last minute” to decide whether to play because of recent back surgery.
But whether Djokovic (or Murray) plays this week, Alcaraz, 21, and Sinner, 22, are considered the favorites to win. On ESPN BET, Alcaraz and Sinner are tied for the best odds (+165) as of Thursday. Djokovic was only third (+385).
“I’m trying to think what the odds would be if (Djokovic) was 100 percent healthy, because right now I’ve got Alcaraz and Sinner as the favorites,” retired player and current commentator Patrick McEnroe said on a media call this week. “And then Novak drops down a lot to the third guy. … Now the idea of him playing at Wimbledon, if there’s one place he can go if he’s injured, maybe he can. (But) I think both of those young guys are over the hump as far as winning a major.”
“(Sinner) is probably one of the toughest challenges we can face in tennis right now. I think he’s the best player in the world.”
Carlos Alcaraz
Beginning with Federer’s maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003, the Big Three have won 66 of the 81 major titles through the end of the 2023 season. For years, they have mostly battled each other in finals, but in the past few years, Djokovic and Nadal have had to fend off a number of rising stars in Slam finals, including Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud.
Dominic Thiem became the first male player born in the 1990s to win a major at the 2020 US Open, but even that came with an asterisk as Nadal and Federer did not play in the tournament and Djokovic was eliminated in the fourth round. Medvedev became the first “next generation” to defeat a member of the Big Three in a Slam final at the US Open the following year. Djokovic was looking for a first-year Grand Slam, having to win all four majors in the same year before Medvedev played the spoiler in three exquisite sets.
Djokovic says the job is not nearly over yet, and he sees the writing on the wall.
“It’s not a new generation, if that’s what you want to call it,” Djokovic said after the loss. “It’s already up-to-date and established. Of course they’ll take over.”
Since then, the 28-year-old Medvedev has not won another major, but has appeared in three Slam finals and won seven ATP titles. Alcaraz and Sinner are the players most likely to make Djokovic’s prediction come true.
Alcaraz has won three majors, including the French Open earlier this month, while Sinner won his first title at the Australian Open in January. Both have been dominant at every level of tournament this season.
Alcaraz, currently ranked third, has six titles in 2023 and claimed his second trophy this season at Indian Wells. Sinner, who passed the world No. 1 ranking from Djokovic for the first time on June 10, has won eight titles since the start of the 2023 season, including his first win on grass in Melbourne, the Masters 1000-level Miami Open in March and last week in Halle. I did.
The burgeoning (and friendly) rivalry between the two has also become must-watch, as both seem to constantly level up to match the other. Alcaraz holds a 5-4 career advantage and also won their most recent match in the French Open semifinals. It was an epic match of 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 that lasted for more than four hours. Both seem to know how good the rivalry can be in a sport trying to break away from the Big Three.
“(Sinner) is probably one of the most difficult challenges we can face in tennis right now. I think he’s the best player in the world.” Alcaraz spoke ahead of the game in Paris. “The matches we’ve had before have been unbelievable and I think everyone wants to see this match. … We’ll see what happens, but I think it will be a good match for tennis and for the fans.”
The two players are likely to meet in the semi-finals at the All England Club. Djokovic is on the other side of the draw and will play only one of the two players in the final.
However, there are several players who have gone even further this season and shown that they too can win the biggest titles. There have been five winners from five Masters 1000 level tournaments this season, the most prestigious event behind the Slams and ATP Finals. In addition to Alcaraz and Sinner, Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev all won. They too can win Wimbledon or somewhere else.
The depth of talent and level of potential winners does not end there. Medvedev, still known for his hard-court prowess, advanced to the semifinals of last year’s tournament. He was able to build on his experience and momentum, especially against a field with mostly green players on the surface. Medvedev will be one of the favorites in New York as well.
Seventh seed Hubert Hurkacz, who lost to Sinner in the final in Halle, is a former Wimbledon semifinalist who also handed Federer his last defeat in 2021. Alex de Minaur has had a breakthrough season that has seen him climb to the top, reaching the top 10 for the first time and already reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open and winning his second career grass court title at the Rosemahlen Grass Court Championships earlier this month.
And then there are the surprises like British star Jack Draper, who won his first ATP title in Stuttgart and then beat Alcaraz at Queen’s Club the following week. Or the new No. 1 from the United States, Tommy Paul, who won his first grass title at Queen’s Club.
“I really like the way Tommy Paul plays,” McEnroe said. “I actually think he could make it to the semifinals or finals if he believes.”
As the Wimbledon main draw rapidly approaches, many questions remain about the tournament and men’s tennis in general, starting with Djokovic’s playing ability.
Will Djokovic win another major title and take sole possession of the record for most in tennis history? Will Alcaraz and Sinner officially emerge as the Big Two? Or will he join others who regularly compete for major titles? Wimbledon is perhaps our first taste of what life will be like in the post-Big Three era.
Of course, just because Djokovic’s season is so far and he may not play at Wimbledon doesn’t mean his reign at the top is over. Asked about the younger generation and what people are thinking after reaching the semi-finals in Melbourne, Djokovic told reporters not to count him out yet.
“I still have high hopes for the other Slams, the Olympics and all the tournaments I will participate in.” Djokovic said. “This tournament wasn’t up to my standard or standard or the level I normally do or expect myself to play, but (it) doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the beginning (of the end), as some people want to call it.”
