‘King Carlos’ Era Begins in Tennis

The Spanish prodigy Carlos Alcaraz did not just win the Wimbledon championship for his fourth grand slam title. He definitively ended a majestic era of tennis that the Three Musketeers — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — had dominated with their 24+22+20 titles for a grand total of 66 Grand Slams.

This win by Alcaraz had everything in it to deserve the Spanish accolade of ‘olé’, which they say so expressively to praise a splendid performance. It was a masterly display of speed, rhythm, service accuracy and court craft, besides playing at will that dainty drop shot, which coming from a tall and muscular player carries an element of surprise in its gentleness as well as its execution.

Djokovic, who had undergone knee surgery for a meniscus tear on June 5, just 19 days before Wimbledon was to begin, may not have been at his physical best. But it is a miracle that Djokovic was on court so soon after surgery and played well enough to get to make his 37th appearance in a final. It is the way in which the winner of 24 Grand Slams was dominated to near cluelessness in the first two sets by this young all-court player — who has grand slam wins on hard court, clay and grass — made it seem as if an entire new era of dominance by one player has begun already.

Finally, it was Djokovic’s grace at the presentation that showed what a champion and considerate human being he is as he showered praise on the youngster and his support team and talked of there being greater things in life than just tennis.

Another personality who nearly upstaged Alcaraz on an evening of his complete triumph was the British royal, Katherine, Princess of Wales. A respectful Wimbledon crowd gave her a standing ovation, which she deserved more as the princess must now know a thing or two about adversity as she is just recovering from cancer.

The sky’s the limit for 21-year-old Alcaraz who has matured to the extent he is displaying all the signs of a time-tested champions of grand slams and who will one day become the numerical equal of the tennis greats as his talent, aggression, will to win, adaptability under pressure and temperament are assets he shares with the masters.