‘Changing of the guard’: Carlos Alcaraz is heir apparent for tennis’s throne

WIMBLEDON, England — For years, many in men’s tennis wondered who could replace the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal atop the sport once they inevitably retire. Together, they have collectively dominated on and off the court, with 66 major titles and superstar personas.

With such big shoes to fill, it seemed unlikely to think anyone would be up for such a challenge. At least not yet.

But on Sunday, just weeks after winning the trophy at the French Open, 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz proved yet again he was the man for the job, as he defeated Djokovic for the second straight year in the Wimbledon final. And while the 2023 final had been a classic, lasting nearly five hours as the two traded highlight-reel-worthy points and momentum, the 2024 edition was a relatively straightforward affair, with Alcaraz asserting his dominance from the very first game and never letting up. By the end of the 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) match that lasted just two hours and 27 minutes, Alcaraz had secured the fourth major title of his career in front of an adoring Centre Court crowd.

After holding off Djokovic in a last-ditch tiebreak and winning the match on his fourth championship point, Alcaraz held his arms up in celebration as the fans jumped to their feet. In a stadium which contained actual royalty in the stands, it seemed to be a coronation for Alcaraz as tennis’ next king.

Even Djokovic, the 24-time major champion, who insisted he had no plans to retire anytime soon, called Alcaraz, “the best player of the tournament without a doubt,” during the news conference Sunday.

With the victory, Alcaraz is now the third-youngest man in the Open era to win four Grand Slam singles titles, trailing only Mats Wilander and Bjorn Borg. His 4-0 record moves him behind only Federer (7-0) as the best record among men in their first major finals, and he joins the Big Three as well as Borg and Rod Laver as the only men to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

Among active male players, Alcaraz trails just Djokovic (24) and Nadal (22) for the most major singles titles, and he is now ahead of Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka (each with three). And Sunday’s triumph seemed to signify more than just another trophy for Alcaraz to those watching.

“Love Djokovic,” tweeted Nick Kyrgios, the injured former world No. 13 who lost to Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final. “But is this maybe the first time we can say the ‘changing of the guard?!?!'”

THIS WIMBLEDON VICTORY showed just how far Alcaraz has come in his short career and over the past year.

Winning titles was expected of the Spanish star as soon as he arrived on the scene, and only intensified after his quarterfinal run at the 2021 US Open in his main draw debut at the tournament. But how soon he has done it, and the way he has done it, is remarkable.

Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open, a year after his impressive debut, with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-3 victory over Casper Ruud in the final. He claimed the world No. 1 ranking for the first time.

Many first-time major champions have spoken about the pressure that comes with such a title, and it briefly seemed as if Alcaraz might be falling prey to the same expectations. He had to withdraw from the 2023 Australian Open due to a hamstring injury, then suffered debilitating cramping in a much-hyped semifinal against Djokovic at the French Open. He later blamed it on nerves.

So when Alcaraz was set to play against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final just weeks later, he was widely considered the underdog entering the match. He had won his first grass title at Queen’s Club during his lone lead-in tournament, but Wimbledon marked just the fourth tournament of his career on the tricky surface. And Djokovic was, well, Djokovic, a seven-time champion at the event and the winner of the last four titles. Few thought anyone was capable of beating him at the All England Club, let alone a 20-year-old with so little experience on grass.

But even after losing the first set 6-1, Alcaraz was not deterred. Instead, he refocused and seemed to embrace the moment. He found his forehand and became increasingly more aggressive. His confidence seemed to grow with every point, as did the loud adoration from the crowd. While Djokovic didn’t disappear, the match was no longer between a legend and an up-and-coming prodigy. Instead it was two equals fighting for the same Wimbledon crown. Alcaraz won the second-set tiebreak and went on to win the match 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

While Jannik Sinner, currently the world No. 1 and reigning Australian Open champion, has also separated himself from the rest of the Gen Z pack in the ATP, Alcaraz has stood alone this spring and summer when the stakes were highest. At the French Open, Alcaraz defeated a string of top players, including 2021 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sinner, en route to the final, then came back against Alexander Zverev in five sets in the final.

While he was unable to defend his title at Queen’s Club, Alcaraz was as impressive at Wimbledon as he was at Roland Garros. Despite dropping the first set in three of his matches, Alcaraz consistently raised his level, finding ways to come back and win. In the semifinals against Daniil Medvedev, he lost the first set in a tiebreak before winning the next three sets. When asked how Alcaraz compared to the Big Three after the match, Medvedev said he had never faced Djokovic, Federer or Nadal when they were under 30, but he still recognized just how good Alcaraz already was.

“Carlos, I don’t think he has anything [like] them,” Medvedev said. “It’s a different game style. I think where Carlos is different from many players: We all have our preferences, someone prefers defense, someone prefers counterattack, someone prefers to be super aggressive. He can do all of it … Probably in my career he’s [the] toughest opponent I have faced.”

Against Djokovic, Alcaraz was focused from the start. In a 13-minute game to open the match, Alcaraz converted on his fifth break point to take the early lead — and never eased up. Even when Djokovic responded in the third set and staved off three championship points, Alcaraz still found a way to close out the match in a tiebreak soon after.

His victory seemed to put him in a category he hadn’t previously been considered in.

“Carlos Alcaraz’s triumph over a great champion like Novak Djokovic is a testament to his incredible talent, determination and composure under pressure,” Laver, a former world No. 1 and four-time Wimbledon champion, tweeted after watching the match from the royal box. “Carlos has cemented his place among the tennis greats with his brilliant performance today.”

Rennae Stubbs, former player and current ESPN analyst, weighed in as well. “Wow [Alcaraz] is one special young talent! I never thought I would see a player as great as Novak, Rafa & Roger but there is no doubt in my mind this kid actually might get to 20 as well. Just phenomenal!”

Despite currently holding the two most recent major titles, Alcaraz will remain at No. 3 in the rankings, behind Sinner and Djokovic, but he didn’t seem concerned about that, nor about any of the records or statistics he keeps being reminded of. Instead Alcaraz, who will next play at the Olympic Games in singles and in doubles alongside Nadal, said he just wants to focus on the big picture.

“Obviously it’s a really great start of my career, but I have to keep going,” Alcaraz said Sunday night. “I have to keep building my path. At the end of my career, I want to sit at the same table as the big guys. That’s my main goal. That’s my dream right now.

“It doesn’t matter if I already won four Grand Slams at the age of 21. If I’m not [able to] keep going, all these tournaments for me, it doesn’t matter. I really want to keep going. I will try to keep winning and end my career with a lot of them.”