Published 00:54 IST, July 17th 2023
Know everything about Carlos Alcaraz, the one who defeated Djokovic in Wimbledon final
Carlos Alcaraz has now risen to prominence as he defeated Novak Djokovic in a marathon Wimbledon final to lift his second Grand Slam title.
Carlos Alcaraz scripted history as he beats Novak Djokovic in the final to lift his maiden Wimbledon title. The marathon match almost went for five hours as the final scoreline read 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. This could be the start of a very fine career for the 20-year-old.
3 things you need to know
- He became the third Spaniard after Manuel Santana and Rafael Nadal to lift the Wimbledon title
- He is also the third youngest champion at the Wimbledon
- He is the fifth player to win multiple grand slam titles before turning 21
Carlos Alcaraz showed very early promise in his career
Alcaraz rose to prominence very early in his career as he was coached by his father who used to be a professional tennis player in his days. He started at the age of four and went on to sign with Babolat, his first racket contract. He was given a wildcard entry at the Rio Open which was his first ATP main draw but he only managed to reach the second round in the tournament.
At the age of 17, he breached the main draw at Australian Open to become the youngest tennis player ever to participate in the tournament. But this time too he couldn't get past more than the second round. He was incidentally defeated by Rafael Nadal on his 18th birthday at the Madrid Open.
He won his first ATP tour title at the 2021 Croatia Open Umag as he defeated Richard Gasquet in the final. 2022 was an eventual year for the youngster as he announced his arrival in style. He claimed his first ATP 500 title at the Rio Open and then followed it up by grabbing his maiden Masters 1000 title by getting the better of Casper Ruud.
Carlos Alcaraz broke numerous records in his career
He defeated Nadal and Djokovic in the quarterfinal and semifinal of the Madrid Open in 2022 and thus became the first-ever player to beat them both in consecutive matches on the clay court. He then claimed his first Grand Slam title as he defeated fifth seed Casper Ruud in the final of the US Open.
He also became the youngest player to achieve a top ATP ranking. He is also the first teenager ever to top the ranking in the Open Era. He had to withdraw from the Australian Open this year and Novak Djokovic leapfrogged him to the top spot. This year the youngster has a win-loss record of 41-4 which is magnificent given his young age in the tennis circuit.
Updated 00:54 IST, July 17th 2023