TENNIS
Alcaraz, on a potential Wimbledon final with Djokovic: “It’s something I really want”
The current Queen’s winner wants to make history at the All-England Club and he wants ‘Nole’ to be his rival in the tournament’s last round.
Carlos Alcaraz usually says what he thinks or what he expects before facing an opponent or starting a new tournament. And he uses to get what he wants thanks to his impressive skills on the court.
This time, he has a double challenge: getting to the Wimbledon final and facing Novak Djokovic. It seems the Murcia native wants to completely forget his cramping episode against the Serb at the French Open semifinal that didn’t allow him to compete from the third set on. And facing the Serb and defeating him in the final would be the perfect way to close the Roland Garros chapter in style.
Both men have the talent and the reasons to meet in the last round in London. While Alcaraz wants to make history by winning Queen’s and Wimbledon at the age of 20, Djokovic wants to keep winning Grand Slam tournaments and cement himself as the ‘undisputed’ greatest tennis player of all time.
Moreover, the 2023 Australian Open and French Open champion wants to win all four majors this year, something that hasn’t been accomplished since Rod Laver last did it in 1969.
Alcaraz wants another battle against Djokovic
Both men will only be able to meet in the final, as they are on the opposite side of the bracket.
The current US Open champion admitted that he will likely feel the pressure of facing Djokovic in a hypothetical final, as he has won the last four Wimbledon editions:
“I have to deal with pressure [of playing Djokovic in a final], but it’s something that I really want. I hope to play a final here against him. He moves really well. He hits the ball very well, really clearly. He has a clean shot. It’s a mix of everything”.
“I would say he doesn’t do anything wrong. He always makes really easy everything. It’s really tough to find some weakness in his game”, he added.
While being on the top of the ATP ranking translates into big pressure to many players, for Alcaraz the main goal is to play the very best and make history by winning tournaments. And Wimbledon is no exception.
“Well, honestly, I don’t feel too much pressure about being No. 1. I know what I have to do. For me, it’s to play, play my best, and try to win tournaments. I don’t think about being No. 1 too much. I’m trying to put out all that pressure”, he stated.
Alcaraz, who also said he’s fit and ready for Wimbledon, will be looking to win the second major of his career in London.