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Following their epic five-set Final, Novak Djokovic praised the new Wimbledon champion
Carlos Alcaraz outlasted Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon Final for the ages to claim his first title at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Following their incredible five-set marathon, Djokovic shared some epic praise for the young champion. In the post-match press conference, the five-time Wimbledon Champion compared elements of Alcaraz’s game to some of the greatest to ever hold a racket: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and yes, himself.
“I think people have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa, and myself,” Djokovic began. “I would agree with that. I think he’s got basically best of all three worlds.”
“He’s got this mental resilience and, really, maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It’s quite impressive,” continued Djokovic. “He’s got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence that we’ve seen with Rafa over the years.”
“And I think he’s got some nice sliding backhands that he’s got some similarities with my backhands. Yeah, two-handed backhands, defence, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too,” added Djokovic.
“I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own, obviously, strengths and weaknesses,” stated Djokovic. “Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces.”
As for whether he would be up for a rematch in Flushing Meadows this September, Djokovic outlined that another meeting in the final Grand Slam event of the year would be huge for the sport.
“I hope we get to play in US Open. Why not? I think it’s good for the sport, No.1 and No.2 in the world facing each other in almost a five-hour, five-set thriller,” said Djokovic. “Couldn’t be better for our sport in general, so why not?”
Why not, indeed. Maybe tennis fans will get one more Final between the two, this time at Arthur Ashe Stadium, to close out the 2023 season.
