Novak Djokovic embarked on a mission to become the most decorated and successful tennis players decades ago and he is very much achieving that dream, and in style. Winning the Wimbledon Championships will see him equal Roger Federer with 8 titles on the grass Major while also boosting his shot at the highly coveted Calendar Slam. Many are looking at Carlos Alcaraz as the only player somewhat capable of stopping the unwavering Serbian, but the Spaniard has tried and failed in the only chance he’s gotten.
16-time doubles Grand Slam winner Todd Woodbridge too is convinced that Djokovic is very well placed to capture all the Majors this year. A huge admirer of the Serbian, Woodbridge recognizes Alcaraz’s talent and believes he has the game to outdo Djokovic but perhaps not the consistency and mentality yet.
Novak Djokovic is rewriting tennis history
Many look at the 23rd Grand Slam that Novak Djokovic won as the moment he ascended to the summit of the sport, labeling him as the GOAT. Others believe numbers don’t tell the whole story and that the number of Grand Slam titles alone aren’t enough for the Serbian to be named the best of the greatest. However, it very much looks like Djokovic will satisfy both requirements before he calls it a day.
Djokovic had set himself apart from even the best to ever play the game back in 2021 itself when he beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros for the second time and went on to capture his second Major on clay. Winning a second French Open and beating the clay almighty along the way was enough proof that Djokovic would leave no doubts regarding his legacy. Jump two years and not only has he captured a third Major in Paris but he has also left his competitors in the dust with 23 Majors.
But even if his tally of Grand Slams isn’t enough, Djokovic could very well also do the near impossible and finish the season having lifted all four Majors. This is a task so difficult that it is now over 40 years since the last man, Rod Laver, and 25 years since the last player, Steffi Graff, managed it. And it is saying something that this is the second time Djokovic has a high probability of doing it.
Just two years back, in 2021, Nole was a single match away from doing it. He fell to Russian Daniil Medvedev in a fairly limp manner. For once, the occasion seemed to have gotten to the unwavering Serb. Here’s the thing though, that experience will probably not go to waste and Djokovic will draw from that shattering loss to do it this time around; that’s just who he is.
Is Carlos Alcaraz there yet?
Todd Woodbridge, a long time admirer of Novak Djokovic, believes we will likely see the 23-time Major winner finally fulfill what he just fell short of in 2021. And while he has no doubt that Carlos Alcaraz has a game that can blow anyone off the court, even Nole, Todd is skeptical about other aspects required to outlast Djokovic in a Grand Slam match.
“I still don’t think Alcaraz, over five sets, has the consistency of concentration on grass to get Novak. We know he has the game to beat him. The result at Queen’s, though – I didn’t expect Alcaraz would win that tournament.
“Winning Queen’s had been a big precursor to going on and doing well at Wimbledon – if not winning it – for 40 to 50 years. Automatically, those extra matches Alcaraz got throughout that week, and that confidence, are really the thing that make him that one contender who can really worry Novak.”
Alcaraz is proving to be a very scary prospect to face in any match, on any surface the way he is improving with each passing day. At just 20 years of age, he has done what many others with immense talent have failed to do in the last couple of decades. He is finally challenging the status quo and is enjoying himself while doing so, not getting bogged by the pressure or expectations. However, he failed to keep up with Djokovic when he had the chance to stop the Serbian at Roland Garros, unable to match the fitness of his opponent.
The journey leading up to the semi final match and the first two sets against the Serb got to him and his body simply couldn’t cope. On his part, Djokovic seemed very much comfortable, as always, managing his fitness over the course of the two weeks. All this despite being 36, an age at which nobody would have blamed him for slowing down. And with the man from Serbia looking so laser-focused and relaxed at the same time, Alcaraz might have to wait his turn before he lifts another Major.
“I can’t go past Novak. After the Aussie Open, I wasn’t being flippant, I said I could see him winning the [Calendar] Grand Slam this year. And I think it’s a real chance. And Alcaraz is knocking on the door, as a sub-plot.”
Having mentioned a Calendar Slam at the start of the season itself, Woodbridge is even more confident about his claim now. And why wouldn’t he be? Djokovic seems to be in a very serene state of mind, not bothered by anything or anyone, just going about his business with scary composure. If it hasn’t happened already, Djokovic will go down as the most steely athlete in any sport ever, toppling the best players with a chilling lack of self-doubt or pressure.
