At a late stage, Djokovic finds a new challenge in Alcaraz

“It ain’t happening.”

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Novak Djokovic, in a bold and blunt call after the quarter-final to the pretenders out to claim his throne, appeared to have prophesied the fate of this Wimbledon with the three words. 

After all, the seven-time champion hadn’t been defeated at the All England Club since 2017, on Centre Court since 2013, and did not look close to being dented this time around too.

Yet, it did happen. In the most surreal fashion by a spectacular talent in a final, no less. Carlos Alcaraz’s five-set win over the 23-time Grand Slam champion could well signal a tectonic shift in the generational battle of men’s tennis, but is also bound to shake the Serb and infuse a shot of motivation late in his career in the absence of his hitherto biggest rivals.

Sure, the record men’s Grand Slam holder can, somewhat light-heartedly, brush this defeat off in his “I won some epic finals that I was very close to losing, maybe this is kind of fair and square deal" way of acceptance. Deep in his heart though, as the man himself admitted, “it hurts.” 

It does more because Djokovic isn't too used to stumbling within one step of glory; Sunday was his record 35th Grand Slam final, having won 23 of them. It does more because Djokovic, the master of turning the tide in big matches, isn't too used to having the tables turned on him; before Sunday, Djokovic had won all his eight previous Slam finals after winning the opening set. 

It does more because Djokovic, the Eliud Kipchoge of five-set marathons in tennis, isn't too used to falling short in them; before Sunday, the last man to beat him in a five-set Slam final was Andy Murray in 2012. It does more because isn't too used to going down in such high-stakes clashes to the up-and-rising players; before Sunday, Djokovic had only lost Slam finals to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Daniil Medvedev.

The last name engineered Djokovic's last Slam final loss before the Wimbledon wonderboy. That came at the 2021 US Open, where he had been blown away by the big-hitting Russian in straight sets. There, the Serb, physically and mentally exhausted in a season he was carrying the emotional burden of chasing a Calendar Slam, turned up cold in New York.

In London, Djokovic was hot. Just that Alcaraz was hotter. Sure, some of the 36-year-old's errors on big points were unusual, but that was as much down to the quality on offer from the other side by the 20-year-old. Djokovic singled out “two bad backhands” in the second set tiebreaker — where he had lately been unchallenged — as a key moment where the match "shifted in his side”.       

“I have some regrets, I had my chances," Djokovic said. “Alcaraz was the deserved winner.”

A deserved winner who has beaten him twice in their three meeting now, and who is here to stay. And so Djokovic, in the late swing of his splendid career, has to figure out a way to halt the Alcaraz roll. It's a kind of challenge Djokovic hasn't had in recent times, especially in the increasing absence of his career's two constants. Roger Federer has retired, while Rafael Nadal, who he last played in the 2022 French Open, has hardly been around this year and may not be at all after the next.   

Djokovic has repeatedly spoken about how playing for points and tournament wins on the tour or for the No.1 ranking are no longer his priorities. He remains motivated solely for the big titles, for the Slam shows. The hole in his storied duels with Federer and Nadal apparent, Djokovic's three previous major wins before Wimbledon - he wasn't allowed to play last year's US Open, which Alcaraz won - were a breeze. Until Alcaraz, in blustery London, blew the winds of change and turned a new page in the Djokovic rivalry book.     

“I hope so, for my sake," Djokovic said when asked if this was the start of a rivalry with Alcaraz. “He's going to be on the tour for quite some time. I don't know how long I'll be around. It's only been three matches that we've played against each other, three really close matches. Two already this year in the later stages of Grand Slams.”

And now for a glimpse into the champion’s mindset. Djokovic is already thinking about the US Open, and the prospect of doing battle with his Wimbledon conqueror there again.

“I hope we get to play in the US Open. Why not? It's good for the sport, No. 1 and 2 in the world facing each other in almost five-hour, five-set thriller," he said. “It couldn't be better for our sport in general. So why not?”

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