Carlos Alcaraz Believes Rivalry With Novak Djokovic Has Transcended Tennis Already

Carlos Alcaraz has put any doubts regarding his grass court capabilities to bed with a commanding display this season. After a fairly comfortable first two rounds, he was put to a bit of a test by Nicolas Jarry but the Spaniard pulled through to set up a clash with Matteo Berrettini. And has been often the case this season, and especially since the recently concluded Roland Garros, a lot of queries put to Carlos have been rife with mentions of Novak Djokovic.

In his post match press conference following his previous match, Alcaraz was asked about a potential final match up with Djokovic and how even casual fans are hoping to see them face off. And a little surprisingly, the World No. 1 not only agreed with that sentiment but also admitted to wanting the final himself.

Carlos Alcaraz out for revenge?

After a massive build up to their blockbuster clash at Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic played a high-octane couple of sets in the semifinal. Unfortunately the quality of the match dropped drastically from the third set after Alcaraz had a bout of cramps and fatigue. Thereon, Djokovic sailed through without much of a resistance from the young Spaniard.

The competitor that Alcaraz is, he naturally wants to have a go at the challenge of beating Djokovic in a Grand Slam match once again. And many are hoping it happens at Wimbledon itself, with both players set to face off in the final if they navigate through their haves of the draw successfully.

After seeing off Jarry in his third round clash, a journalist asked Carlos about the buzz regarding a potential rematch between him and Djokovic. A little out of character, the World No. 1 admitted to wanting the match up and also how sports fans in general want it too.

“Well, not only tennis fans, sports fans want the final. Myself as well, honestly.

“I have I think three rounds ahead. I’m really focused on the next round. Is Berrettini or Zverev. Both players have great tennis on grass. Is going to be really tough one. But obviously my dream is play a final here. Even better is Novak.”

While a good chunk of tennis fans are definitely hoping to see a battle between the youngster and the “veteran”, many casual fans of tennis too very much seem hyped up on the prospective match up. Alcaraz will know millions of eyes across the globe will be on him and Djokovic if they do end up playing in the final. And he will want to prove his mettle in front of such a massive audience.

A tough road to the final

Until a few weeks ago, Alcaraz would have seemed a bit trepid about his chances on grass. After all, he did not have much to boast about in terms of his exploits on the surface, at least by his standards. But from the moment he’s won the Queen’s Championship title, his first grass title, Carlito has grown tremendously in confidence and is now even considering himself a challenger for the Wimbledon title.

The top ranked player in the world certainly has the arsenal to outdo anybody on a tennis court. However, as the French Open clash against Djokovic showed, he has a lot to develop yet, primarily his match-management and fitness. To play best of 5 sets over the course of 2 weeks is no laughing matter. And to play on the second Sunday at your highest level certainly requires some doing. Something Djokovic has mastered; he will be at his peak more often than not in Major final.

Alcaraz has a road full of challenges that could threaten his wish to compete for the title end of this week. Matteo Berrettini is a former Wimbledon runner up and a fearsome grass court player. This was in 2021 when he had a shot at the title but lost to, you guessed it, Novak Djokovic. Should the Spaniard see Berrettini off, he will face either Holger Rune or Grigor Dimitrov in the next round.

As Alcaraz said, he is focused on his next round. And to get to the final and have a chance to face Djokovic again potentially, he will need to take it one match at a time, especially on a surface like grass that can be very treacherous. And should he successfully do so, he will likely have the biggest test of his life ahead of him of beating Djokovic in a Wimbledon final.