TENNIS
Former ATP player believes Alcaraz is better than Djokovic
Former US tennis player Jimmy Arias said that the Spanish star is better than the Serb when he plays at his best.
It’s only been a little more than two weeks since Carlos Alcaraz became the Wimbledon champion, but the Murcia native has been receiving lots of praise from many former players and analysts.
That’s not a big surprise, as Carlitos has shocked the tennis world with his impressive performances, which have led him to win 12 ATP titles and two Grand Slam tournaments at the age of 20.
Many doubted Alcaraz’s chances at All England Club since he hadn’t played on grass much during his young career, but he started proving the skeptics wrong by winning the Queen’s tournament, defeating Alex De Miñaur in the final.
Moreover, in Wimbledon, Carlos seemed stronger mentally and defeated all of his opponents with relative ease before facing Novak Djokovic in the last round.
Juan Carlos Ferrero’s pupil was determined to avenge his loss to the Serb in the French Open semifinals when he suffered a cramping episode that translated into a loss to the 23-time major champion.
Alcaraz, better than Djokovic
Alcaraz finally ended up lifting the Wimbledon trophy after a five-setter that will go down in history. Alcaraz managed to come back from one set down and was the better player in the most important points, which made the difference between one player and the other.
Former world number 5 Jimmy Arias said that even before the start of Wimbledon, he saw Alcaraz as the main contender if he was at his best and didn’t let the pressure control him.
“Before the Wimbledon final, some people asked me and I said that at his best, he is better than anyone. He is better than Djokovic, that he can’t reach this level”, he said on the Inside In podcast of the Tennis Channel.
“I didn’t know if he would be able to develop his level in a Wimbledon final against Djokovic, but I also knew he would be more relaxed than at Roland Garros, where the situation was strange for him because he was playing against a 22-time Grand Slam champion, and he was the absolute favorite. I thought this was a strange mental obstacle for him”, he added.
Carlos managed the pressure quite well and went on to win the most prestigious and oldest tennis tournament. He will be back in action in Toronto, where he will get in touch with hard courts after the March calendar (Indian Wells, Miami), as a preparation for the fourth and last major of the year, the US Open.