Wimbledon 2023: Alcaraz vs Djokovic, a colossal Wimbledon final worth a ‘Grand Slam’… and ATP number one
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will meet this Sunday for the third time in their careers. It will be on Sunday in a monumental final at Wimbledon, the ‘Cathedral’ of tennis. They had previously met in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open (2022) and in the penultimate round of Roland Garros (2023), sharing the victories. Carlitos will claim revenge after what happened 37 days ago in Paris.
The third time will be the first time they meet in a final, which is also a ‘Grand Slam’ final.. The rivalry between the two, which is just beginning due to the age difference between the two, will have an extra incentive.
And it is that the winner of Wimbledon will also be world number one when the world rankings are updated this Monday, July 17.
Carlitos, who has accumulated 28 weeks at the helm of the men’s circuit, maintains an 80-point difference with respect to Djokovic since he lifted the Queen’s trophy.
This is the ATP ranking
Carlos Alcaraz 8,875
Novak Djokovic 8,795
Daniel Medvedev 6,520
Casper Ruud 5,005
Stefanos Tsitsipas 4,850
Holger Rune 4.825
Andrei Rublev 4,525
Jannik Sinner 3.975
Taylor Fritz 3,310
Frances Tiafoe 3,130
Rematch 37 days later
The rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz It is far from resembling the one that the Serbian has maintained throughout his career with Rafael Nadal (30-29) and Roger Federer (27-23), the other two members of the racket’s ‘Big Three’.
However, with Federer, retired, and Nadal, injured, the Serbian and the Murcian will meet this Sunday for the second consecutive great.
In the land of Roland Garros, just 37 days ago, they met in the semifinals, with ‘Nole’ winning in four sets, in a match marked by Carlitos’ cramps starting in the second round.
Djokovic and Alcaraz have not met since then in any tournament, but yes in each of the training sessions carried out on the slopes of Aorangi Park. Even today they crossed paths in the warm-up that they both did on track 1 to prepare for the semifinals.
“I have learned from what happened in the Roland Garros semifinal“, admits the pupil of Juan Carlos Ferrero. The rematch is served.
“My great rival will always be Nadal“, says Djokovic, one year younger than the Manacorí but who seems like one more of the ‘Next Gen’ born in the 21st century.
Nine finals against Nadal
Novak played nine grand finals with the Spaniard, of which he won five in his favor and lost four. With Alcaraz comes the first of many to come.
