Have you noticed that in the past dozen years only a handful of players have been the Grand Slam champions apart from the famed trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in men’s tennis; the luckier ones Andy Murray having won two and Stan Wawrinka three respectively and a certain Dominic Thiem and Medvedev being the other two solitary winners. The lone exception being Andy Murray who coveted the Wimbledon trophy not once but twice in 2013 and 2016. Incidentally, none of these players was ever able to win any back to back titles in Grand Slams for such was the supremacy and sheer domination of the BIG THREE.
Enters Prince Carlos Alcaraz in his last of his teens to clinch the US Open in 2022 and the sport of royalty witnessed the advent of world’s youngest ranked ATP No1 player go on to vanquish a seasoned pro in a cliff hanger five- setter at SW19 for the Wimbledon title. The ultimate match summary for the game’s aficionados was 168-166 points in favour of the young Spaniard and eventual winner. “So close” as many pundits of the game would de-cry of the centre-court duel which lasted 4 hours and 42 minutes. But then the Spaniard did announce his proud arrival to the world’s big stage for everyone else to take note of and heralding the possible change of guard in men’s tennis.
That the challenger wanted to convey a message to the champion became evident from the moment he lost the first set. Alcaraz was by far more aggressive of the two and was away on the attack right from the opening set. That he made more unforced errors, lost more break and net points even serving more double faults clearly demonstrates the mindset of the young Spaniard whose superior serve percentage and winners took the match away down the stretch when it mattered from the distraught Serb Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz amply demonstrated his prowess and skill besides his tenacity and speed right throughout the match at the Centre Court and very often made the Serb slide, fall and tumble and break his racquet too– a rare sight indeed all of them.
Novak must have backed himself to win psychologically and statistically but eventually lost to his younger opponent who only had his own self-belief going and adrenaline running, determination flowing from his racquet and this time his legs did not tire like that it had in the Roland Garros finals against the same opponent. This time around the senior pro was unable to break the motion, mind, heart and soul of a supremely talented and gifted younger opponent who went on to payback the due to the master.
That the fifth game of the third set served thirteen deuces and lasted 26 minutes between both the players will what go down as the most defining moment in the riveting finals at SW19 at this year’s Championship.
Wimbledon 2023-the cathedral of tennis welcomes its two new parishioners rather practitioners, the young Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz Garfia and the other Czech Marketa Vondrousova (winner of Venus Rosewater Dish). Two deserving winners at the All- England Club in 2023.
Certainly, the grass at the centre court never appeared more greener with the emergence of two young breed of champions as do believe the legions of fans world over. SW19 just announced the arrival of the game’s young brigade and the battle for the Grand Slam thrones is now well and truly on.
Wimbledon 2023: The summer storm indeed was loved by all of us.