E-Paper
A star is born on the courts of SW19
Carlos Alcaraz, 20, beat Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, sparking speculation about a passing of the baton from the old guard to the next gen.
For much of the last decade, men’s tennis was awash with repeated invocations of the old guard vs next gen debate as the world awaited a fresh face who could sweep the big three — Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic — off their pedestal, ending their vice-like grip at the most exalted level of the game. On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz, all of 20, did so in the manner least imagined — beating four-time defending champion Djokovic in a Wimbledon final on a court the latter hadn’t lost in a decade, and on the surface least favoured by the young Spaniard. The torchbearer of Gen Z carved his name on the trophy at Big W, and, with it, set off fevered speculation about whether the world had witnessed the proverbial passing of the baton.
After accepting the baton from Pete Sampras at the 2001 Wimbledon and clinching his second Slam at the 2004 Australian Open, Mr Federer won four of the next seven majors. After winning a Slam each in 2005 and 2006, Mr Nadal won three of the first six of the 2007-08 season. After ending a two-year barren phase between his first and second slam in 2011, Mr Djokovic won three out of the next four. These players rewrote records and etched an unparalleled era together. These are players Mr Alcaraz grew up watching, even idolising, and hoping to emulate. His initial steps in that quest have undoubtedly been promising. His game – oh so complete and ever so improving – has proven it can adapt quickly to surfaces. His mental make-up – wracked by nerves against Mr Djokovic in Paris just four weeks ago — resembled a much freer spirit on the grass in London. The ingredients of greatness are all there, it’s now a question of where, and how far, his hunger can take him.
