In the aftermath of Novak Djokovic’s lack of his Wimbledon crown to Carlos Alcaraz Sunday, the Serbian tennis maestro discovered himself reflecting on the prospect of a burgeoning rivalry.
The irony was not misplaced on Djokovic, who, regardless of nonetheless performing on the pinnacle of his profession, is a 36-year-old athlete who can see the twilight of his record-breaking journey drawing close to.
“For my sake, I would hope so,” Djokovic responded when requested in regards to the potential for a rivalry with Alcaraz. “He’s going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don’t know how long I’ll be around.”
Throughout his illustrious profession, Djokovic has engaged in charming rivalries with legends equivalent to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, charming the tennis world for near 20 years.
However, time will not be on his aspect for forming one other enduring rivalry with the younger Alcaraz.
Hence, their riveting five-set duel on Sunday needs to be cherished as a uncommon incidence.
Djokovic has confronted Federer on 50 events, together with 17 main tournaments.
He has encountered Nadal in 59 memorable encounters, 18 of which happened in majors, and has crossed paths with Murray 36 instances, with 10 of these battles transpiring at Grand Slam occasions.
In distinction, Djokovic has solely clashed with the 20-year-old Alcaraz 3 times so far.
Although the prospect of one other showdown between Djokovic and Alcaraz on the upcoming U.S. Open is undeniably thrilling, it stays unsure whether or not the 23-time Grand Slam champion can lengthen his profession sufficiently to interact in common battles with the rising star.
“I think it’s good for the sport, one and two in the world facing each other in five-hour, five-set thrillers. It couldn’t be better for our sport in general, so why not?” Djokovic remarked optimistically.
Nevertheless, the fact is that Carlos Alcaraz, the present world primary, might discover himself with out a substantial rival, significantly among the many Next Gen gamers who at present path behind the Spanish sensation.
“Who’s going to match this kid for the next few years?” contemplated Pat Cash, the 1987 Wimbledon champion, after Alcaraz halted Djokovic’s 34-match profitable streak on the grass-court Grand Slam.
Hopefully, Alcaraz’s meteoric rise will encourage these inside his age group, very similar to Federer and Nadal did for Djokovic, propelling him to greatness.
Italian expertise Jannik Sinner, at 21 years previous, defeated Alcaraz at Wimbledon final 12 months however has solely reached one Grand Slam semifinal thus far, succumbing to Djokovic in straight units final week.
Denmark’s Holger Rune, the brand new world quantity 4 at simply 20 years previous, possesses the sport and character that would spark a compelling rivalry along with his former junior sparring companion Alcaraz.
Additionally, 21-year-old Italian Lorenzo Musetti reveals the potential to make a big leap ahead.
However, for gamers equivalent to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev – who have been anticipated to fill the void left by the departure of the “big three” – the ascent of Alcaraz has caught them off guard.
Medvedev, the reigning 2021 U.S. Open champion, was outmatched by Alcaraz within the Wimbledon semi-final, enduring lower than two hours on Centre Court.
While skilled sports activities are rife with unexpected challenges, these predicting that Alcaraz will dominate for an additional decade ought to train warning.
Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal continuously communicate in regards to the motivation they derived from each other, as they regularly raised the bar of excellence.
Together, they’ve amassed 65 Grand Slam titles. One can solely hope that Alcaraz discovers adversaries who will share the burden as tennis embarks on a brand new period.
“I think he’s already taken Sinner with him, and he will take Holger Rune with him, although Holger Rune may not have fully realized it yet,” commented seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander. “Roger made Novak and Rafa think, ‘Hey, this guy is not going to give us anything. We have to go and take it from him.’ I believe Carlos can certainly be that guy.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
