What could be better?
Nineteen years old and a Grand Slam tournament champion?
How about 20 years old and a Wimbledon champion, too? And not even to mention, a winner over career Grand Slam record holder Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
This will be the one young Carlos Alcaraz never forgets, even if one day in his future the amazing Spaniard catches up to Djokovic’s Grand Slam numbers.
That would be a long way to go, of course, since Djokovic still owns 23 Grand Slam titles.
But two Grand Slams is a good start, especially for a 20-year-old.
NOVAK REALLY WANTED THIS ONE
This was a title Djokovic wanted so badly to win. A win would have put the Serbian great two Grand Slam titles ahead of Rafa Nadal, leaving the door open for the injured Nadal to possibly catch Novak. Of course, that’s a long, long shot now considering Nadal’s physical condition.
And now, there’s Alcaraz standing alongside Djokovic at the top of a mountain in the eyes of the tennis world.
Yes, Carlos Alcaraz is a special tennis player. Few, if any, of his rivals or his predecessors could stand up to the Alcaraz test of talent and athleticism.
The Spanish sensation put it all on display in a 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 triumph for a supportive Centre Court crowd on Sunday.
ALCARAZ SHOWS HIS MENTAL TOUGHNESS
After looking out of sorts in a one-sided first set that simply got away from him, Alcaraz demonstrated his mental strength and toughness. The flamboyant Spanish superstar took the second set in a 14-point tiebreaker, and then survived a 26-minute and 56-second fifth game of the third set on his way to a 6-1 win and a two sets to one advantage over Djokovic.
The tiebreaker and then the seemingly never-ending game obviously took some of the wind out of Djokovic’s confidence and probably made him realize even more how quickly the professional tennis landscape can change.
CARLOS’ SERENE VIEW OF A CHAMPIONSHIP
Alcaraz really demonstrated his will to win even further in the fourth set by holding service for a 5-3 lead, then while serving for the match at 5-4, winning it at 40-30 in typical Alcaraz fashion with a well-placed forehand out wide.
Moving toward the service line as Djokovic netted an attempted forehand return, Alcaraz’s view became a serene one. The Spanish wonder threw his body on the turf in celebration as a Wimbledon champion.
They hugged at the net, both smiling. An epic day at Wimbledon was history.
NOVAK DEMONSTATES HIS CLASS
“I did not win today, but I lost to a better player and I have to congratulate him and move on,” Novak told the crowd.
He was all smiles until he saw his young son and daughter smiling in the stands. Novak then became just a dad.
The Serbian star broke down for a few seconds. “I love you and I’ll give you a big hug when we can all love each other.”
Another day in tennis history. It was a good one, even if someone had to lose.
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James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
