Novak Djokovic just witnessed the future of tennis.
It’s younger, better, faster, stronger.
And it is embodied by the 21-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
If the Wimbledon 2023 men’s singles final was the defining moment for the Spaniard, when he broke Djokovic mentally in a five-set epicand then the 2024 rematch was when he solidified himself as the future of the sport.
The final was not up to the mark. The score was 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).
It’s the kind of blow Djokovic has rarely received. And certainly not in recent years.
For Alcaraz, however, it was something else.
A coronation.
Carlos Alcaraz’s second Wimbledon title will likely not be his last. (Anadolu: stringer)
He now has four Grand Slam titles on all surfaces at the age of 21, becoming the youngest man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.
He has also never lost a Grand Slam final.
At the same age, Djokovic had won one Grand Slam title, Roger Federer zero and Rafael Nadal three.
Alcaraz beat them all.
And while the dirt barely covers the grave of Nadal’s careerr, this great Spaniard besieges a future where, at present, he has no equal.
Alcaraz is totally fearless
This was never more evident than in this Wimbledon final.
From the start, it was Djokovic who was in unfamiliar territory and on the defensive.
It wasn’t even because of the opening service game, it was because of the draw.
Alcaraz won it and chose to receive.
The potential pressure at the end of the set was irrelevant. The third-seeded Spaniard was keen to make a statement.
When he broke Djokovic on the fifth attempt of the first game — after the Serb had served repeatedly to get out of trouble — he had done just that.
What followed was the kind of merciless beating usually reserved for punch-drunk former world boxing champions desperate for one last chance at glory, not the man many consider the greatest tennis player of all time.
Despite his 37 years, Djokovic still has a lot to offer.
While Djokovic struggled in his first service game, Alcaraz, clearly full of adrenaline, powered his serve at 218 km/h.
He didn’t come back.
It was revealing and it became a theme.
Djokovic, considered one of the greatest rebounders the sport has ever known, struggled to get the ball back as he was pulled to all corners of the court, struggling to stay in the points.
The Serb was so desperate that he rarely engaged in the long baseline rallies that have marked his career, instead frequently attacking the net.
Alcaraz regularly and repeatedly passed him with ease.
When that didn’t happen, the Spaniard dominated on serve and from the baseline. His vaunted forehand, athleticism and spectacular series of drop shots did the damage.
He made Djokovic look slow, second-rate and 16 years his senior.
This Wimbledon final could finally represent the changing of the guard in men’s tennis. (Getty Images)
Those who like Djokovic will point to the fact that he almost miraculously managed to play this tournament after knee surgery as the reason why he was unable to compete with the Spaniard.
It was a heroic effort to be there.
But the reality is that this has been in the works for some time.
The decline of the Djoker
Jannik Sinner ended Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at the Australian Open in the semi-finals, claiming the title at Melbourne Park for his first Grand Slam victory.
At the time, Djokovic described it as one of his lowest moments in a Grand Slam.
“I was, in a way, shocked by my level, you know, in a bad way,” Djokovic said at the time, while praising Sinner.
“I didn’t do much well in the first two sets.
“I think it’s one of the worst Grand Slam matches I’ve ever played. At least, from what I remember.”
Djokovic may hold the all-time record of 24 men’s Grand Slam singles titles, but in 2024 there have been plenty of lesser moments.
Novak Djokovic was a shadow of himself against Carlos Alcaraz and that has probably been the case all year. (AP Photo: Alberto Pezzali)
The loss to Sinner was just the tip of the iceberg in a year where Djokovic failed to win a tournament.
Defeats to 20-year-old Italian Luca Nardi in Indian Wells, Casper Ruud in Monaco, Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in Rome and Czech Tomas Machac in Geneva led to this Wimbledon.
All are useful players, but only Ruud is considered a star and, in reality, he is only a Grand Slam-level threat on clay.
Then there was the defeat against Alcaraz. It was brutal.
Djokovic, who was all fired up when he wiped out a frame in disgust in their deciding match in 2023, was gentle on court in 2024.
He looked desperate as Alcaraz destroyed him.
The mood after the match was one of rare acceptance.
“Overall, I felt on court today against him, I was inferior on court,” Djokovic said.
“He was a better player. He played every shot better than me.”
Aiming for what Djokovic cherishes most
For Djokovic, this should be a warning: the end of his glorious run at the top of the sport is near.
Two years ago he used the best of Nick Kyrgios and beat the Australian in the Wimbledon final, against Alcaraz he was only a part of that player.
Over time, Djokovic has been praised and ridiculed in equal measure for his unwavering, relentless pursuit of being recognized as the greatest player in tennis history, but he may have just lost to the only man capable of breaking his Grand Slam record.
Alcaraz has time and he is hungry.
When he won the first set of the final, he roared and, perhaps deliberately, showed his teeth.
Carlos Alcaraz showed his teeth by winning the first set. (Reuters: Paul Childs)
Then, after his coronation with the title, the Spaniard did it verbally.
“At the end of my career, I want to sit at the same table as the greats,” Alcaraz said.
“That’s my main goal. That’s my dream right now. It doesn’t matter if I’ve already won four Grand Slams at 21. If I don’t continue, all these tournaments for me, it doesn’t matter.
“I really want to continue. I’m going to try to continue winning and finish my career with a lot of victories.”
Djokovic and the tennis world have been warned.
The future is now.
This is Alcaraz’s world and Djokovic lives in it.
