"Amazing compliment" - Novak Djokovic ranking Carlos Alcaraz alongside him and rivals Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer impresses Serena Williams' ex-coach
Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs was impressed by Novak Djokovic's compliment for Carlos Alcaraz, in which he ranked the 2023 Wimbledon champion alongside himself and his biggest rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
The Wimbledon men's final between the 23-time Grand Slam winner and the 20-year-old Spaniard was a five-set thriller that lasted over four hours. Djokovic won the first set 6-1, but Alcaraz fought back to win the second set 7-6(6). The top seed then dominated the third set 6-1 before the seven-time Wimbledon champion took the fourth set 3-6. The fifth set was closely contested, with Alcaraz ultimately prevailing 6-4 to win his first title at SW19.
In a press conference, the former World No.1 showered praise on Alcaraz, saying that he had the "best of all three worlds" in terms of his game, which combined elements of the Serb's own game and that of Nadal and Federer.
"People have been talking in the past 12 months or so about [Alcaraz’s] game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa, and myself. I would agree with that. I think he's got basically best of all three worlds,” Djokovic said. “He's got this mental resilience and maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It's quite impressive."
“I haven't played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own obvious strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player," he added.
Rennae Stubbs took to social media to share the 36-year-old's answer and wrote:
“Wow, what an amazing compliment from Djokovic.”
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic in five-set thriller to win his maiden Wimbledon title
The 2023 Wimbledon final was a showcase of two of the best players in the world. The World No. 2 showed his experience and consistency, while Alcaraz displayed his power and athleticism. In the end, it was the youngster who won the match 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
The 36-year-old overpowered the show at the beginning on Centre Court as he sealed the first set 6-1. The Spaniard leveled the scores as he won the second set in a tiebreak, 7-6(6). The third set saw Alcaraz dominate with his powerful groundstrokes, winning 80% of his service points and breaking his opponent thrice.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner, too, made a remarkable comeback and pushed the match to the final set with a 6-3 win in the fourth set. The fifth set saw the lone break point from Alcaraz in the third game, which was enough for him to close out the match.