Carlos Alcaraz: “I would love to be part of a historic Sunday for Spanish sport” | ATP Tour

Wimbledon

Alcaraz: “I would love to be part of a historic Sunday for Spanish sport”

The Spaniard is chasing his second Wimbledon title against Djokovic

July 12, 2024

Sunday will be a day marked on the calendar of all tennis fans, in particular, and sports fans in general. Especially for the Spanish. On that day, Carlos Alcaraz will try to successfully defend his crown at Wimbledon, while the national team will try to win back the European Football Championship.

“I would love to be part of a historic Sunday for Spanish sport,” the 21-year-old from Murcia admitted at the press conference after his semi-final match against Daniil Medvedev. “Let’s see, it’s so close, but at the same time so far away that I don’t dare say more than that I would love to have my name on a historic day for all Spaniards.”

Alcaraz wants to make history again at the All England Club and many of his compatriots will surely be glued to the television screen to follow his progress in the final. “For those fans who sit on the sofa and don’t get up until the Euro final is over, I just hope that they don’t get the better of their nerves, that they enjoy it and obviously celebrate as much as they can.”

On the other side of the net, the Spaniard faces the same opponent he already beat in last year’s final: Novak Djokovic, who already knows what it’s like to win seven titles on the Centre Court of the British Grand Slam.

“Djokovic knows much better than I do what it is like to play a Wimbledon final and what it is like to play a Grand Slam final,” Alcaraz added about his next opponent. “He is much more prepared in that sense than I am. But I believe in myself, at the level I am playing, I believe I am going to win, that is in my head.”

The Lexus ATP Head2Head between the two is 3-2 in favour of the Serbian, although the only previous encounter on grass fell on Alcaraz’s side. The other meeting they have played on Grand Slam territory, at Roland Garros 2023, was for Djokovic. And the most recent meeting was last November at the Nitto ATP Finals, with victory for the Balkan player.

“Obviously, I’m going to be nervous until Sunday, which is logical. I know what it’s like to be in this position, what it’s like to deal with everything that’s going to happen until the final, I know what I have to do,” said the current No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Djokovic had to withdraw from Roland Garros due to a meniscus injury, which even required him to undergo surgery before Wimbledon. However, he has now put his physical problems behind him and is ready to fight for what could be his 25th Grand Slam crown.

“If Djokovic is in the final it is because he is physically and tennis-wise at a very high level. I don’t consider myself a favourite,” added Alcaraz. “In a final I don’t see favourites, we’ll see who plays the match better, who deals with the situations better and I think I’m capable of doing better than him on Sunday.”