Novak Djokovic lavishes praise on Carlos Alcaraz indicating the Spaniard “got basically best of all three worlds”

To defeat the legend you grew up watching would have truly been a fantastic journey for Carlos Alcaraz. The world number one defeated the legendary Djoker, Novak Djokovic in the most prestigious tennis event, Wimbledon. Charly has to be one of the greatest athletes right now to make Nole struggle and stumble on the court.

Both the players display a pure elite class of tennis and sportsmanship. Each stroke and each point was constructed to an extent that it refined the standards of tennis for the upcoming generation. Now, young Carlitos was not just the crowd’s favorite but also his opponent’s.

Djokovic lauds Alcaraz following the end of decade long Centre court dominance

Novak Djokovic did express how much winning this Wimbledon would mean to him. It was not just about the Grand Slams but also his streak of wins at the Center court for the past decade!

As much as this defeat was heart-wrenching and tearjerking for the Champ, he did not hold back to show appreciation for his opponent. He speaks of how Carlos Alcaraz has been compared with the Big 3.

"I haven't played a player like him ever"@DjokerNole discusses what makes @carlosalcaraz so tough to face#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/leVry0K8lv

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 17, 2023

In response, he says, “I would agree with that. I think he’s got basically the best of all three worlds. He’s got this mental resilience and real maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It’s quite impressive. He’s got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defense that we’ve seen with Rafa (Nadal) over the years.”

When Charly was informed about the legend’s appraisal, he coyly looks away in disbelief. Even though the world number one wants to create a name for himself, he does acknowledge that he takes parts of the legends.

The Serb doubles down on Alcaraz being hybrid

Very early on in his career, Carlos Alcaraz claimed that clay was his favorite surface. His performances at the clay courts season further projected that he had developed a style of play perfected for the clay surface!

A couple of months back, Novak Djokovic went up against Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open semifinals. However, Charly was not able to defeat him back then. When asked about what changed since the Roland Garros semifinals just a couple of months back, Charly says, “I am a totally different player now”. He has grown so much in such less time and was much more prepared physically and mentally to go against Djokovic.

French Open: Carlos Alcaraz shines, Novak Djokovic wins semifinal - Los Angeles Times

Post the Wimbledon finals, Nole also points out how quickly Carlos has been able to adapt to different surfaces. The legend also finds a similarity in how both have them have adapted to different surfaces. At this young age, Alcaraz has been able to perfect his style to all the surfaces which makes him one of the most complete players.