Carlos Alcaraz, 20, said after winning his first Wimbledon title that ever since he began playing tennis, he had dreamed of beating Novak Djokovic and winning the tournament.
Seven-time champion Djokovic had not lost on Centre Court since 2013, but Alcaraz broke the Serbian’s string of victories at the grass-court major with a thrilling five-set victory (1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4).
“Making history today is the happiest thing I’ve ever done. I don’t think it will change for a very long time. Since I began playing tennis, I have dreamt about defeating Novak and winning the Wimbledon title. Because of this, it is the most significant event of my life,” Alcaraz remarked at a press conference following the game.
“Being the first person to defeat Novak after 10 years of being unbeaten on that court and defeating him at his peak is fantastic to me. I will never forget it, that much is certain,” the Spaniard stated. Alcaraz added that he hoped his triumph will motivate the upcoming generation of Tour competitors.
“I believe that the younger generation will benefit from seeing me defeat him and will begin to believe that they are also capable of doing it. It’s fantastic for me and, I believe, for the younger guys, too,” he said.
Alcaraz became just the seventh person in the Open Era (since 1968) to win multiple major championships before turning 21 with his Tour-leading 47th victory of the year.
The fact that Alcaraz defeated Djokovic demonstrates the ongoing, quick growth he is making. He lost to the Serbian last month at Roland Garros and experienced cramping after the second set. Alcaraz said, “I am a completely different player than Roland Garros.”
“Since that time, I have significantly matured. I took a lot away from that experience. I learned something from the match, as I stated before the grand finale. I made a different decision before the contest. Before the contest, I psychologically prepared a bit differently. I was able to handle the stress and anxiety better than I did in Roland Garros.”
Alcaraz did manage to win on Sunday, his first Slam triumph over the 23-time major champion Djokovic, and he believes it will boost his confidence going forward.
“I believed that I couldn’t defeat Novak before this match. That much is clear. But let’s just say that after this incredible match, I have a different perspective on Novak and will likely always remember this event in other competitions and Grand Slams,” Alcaraz added.
Alcaraz is currently leading the ATP Live Race to Turin thanks to his second major victory at Wimbledon. After missing the ATP Finals last year owing to injuries, he will be attempting to make his debut at that tournament in November.