Djokovic and Alcaraz Set for Potential Wimbledon Final Rematch

Djokovic and Alcaraz Set for Potential Wimbledon Final Rematch

Novak Djokovic has been put on notice ahead of a potential Wimbledon final rematch with Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish star defeated the Serbian great in an epic five-setter last year, and a repeat showdown is on the cards for Sunday, provided they come through their semi-finals.

 

Djokovic, who received a quarter-final bye due to an injury to Alex de Minaur, is set to face Italian surprise package Lorenzo Musetti. Meanwhile, Alcaraz will meet the dangerous Daniil Medvedev. Tennis legend John McEnroe believes Alcaraz has improved since last year and asserts that Djokovic would need to produce his “A-plus game” to secure his eighth Wimbledon title and 25th Grand Slam title.

“He’s got better touch, arguably, than anyone else in the game and even Novak Djokovic is thinking, ‘OK I need to bring my A game, A-plus game’,” McEnroe said on the BBC. Reflecting on last year’s final, McEnroe remarked, “That was one of the greatest matches I have ever seen, the Wimbledon final last year, unbelievable match. Novak was in position to win but somehow Alcaraz was able to rise to the occasion and beat the greatest of all time.”

 

Regardless of the outcome, McEnroe, 65, believes Alcaraz has been a breath of fresh air and wishes he’d been more like the 21-year-old in his youth. “He had that positive attitude which helped. You watch Carlos Alcaraz, he’s always smiling. Whatever the score is, he’s amazing,” McEnroe added. “I don’t know how he does it but it’s never too late to teach an old man, come over to my place sometime. This guy can do anything and everything – and he does do that. He brings the crowd in, the crowd is eating it up, thank the lord for Carlos Alcaraz is what I’m saying. We are lucky.”

 

Alcaraz reached the last four with a four-set win over Tommy Paul, who took the first set. The defending champion admitted he didn’t feel entirely comfortable on Court One, saying: “I felt the difference playing on Centre Court and on Court One. The grass is different. Obviously, I feel like there was more sand on Court One than Centre Court. I don’t want to say holes. There were more matches on Court One than Centre Court, I had to adapt my game on that.”

 

“I didn’t feel comfortable at all playing on Court One with the conditions on it. As I said, I had to adapt my game on it. I tried to play my best tennis on it. Yeah, I think at the end I found it, I found my best tennis and my good tennis just to feel comfortable on it.”

 

As anticipation builds for a possible rematch, both Djokovic and Alcaraz must first navigate their semi-final challenges to set up what promises to be another unforgettable clash.