Alcaraz can be in elite company with Wimbledon hat trick
WIMBLEDON—Carlos Alcaraz will aim to reinforce his status as the new all-court monarch of men’s tennis with a third successive Wimbledon title while his chief challenger Jannik Sinner heads to London for revenge after coming off second best in an epic French Open final.
Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic must defy age and the odds in what may be the 38-year-old’s best opportunity to claim an elusive 25th Grand Slam crown after losing to Alcaraz in the previous two title clashes at All England Club.
Jack Draper will shoulder the burden of British expectations following Andy Murray’s retirement, while other contenders led by Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz continue their bid for a first major to end the recent duopoly of Alcaraz and Sinner.
Victory this month in the longest French Open final since tennis turned professional in 1968 meant Alcaraz kept his title while he and Sinner have now lifted seven of the last eight majors to assert their supremacy.
A Wimbledon hat-trick will put Alcaraz in elite company as the fifth man in the Open Era to lift three straight titles at the famous manicured lawns, with the 22-year-old set to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic.
Trademark flair
Adapting to grass after a long clay season is crucial to any player’s chances, but Alcaraz has managed it with trademark flair even if the five-time major champion describes the jarring gear shift as “enjoyment and suffering” in equal measure.
“It’s a bit of everything,” said Alcaraz, who improved his career win-loss record on the sport’s slickest surface to 29-3 with a magnificent run to the Queen’s Club title.
“Ultimately, it’s a surface we don’t play many matches on each year, and you have to learn from every experience on it, from every match you play.
“Every player is different with a different style on grass. You have to keep learning and getting to know yourself … even when the numbers are in your favour.”
Sinner is a little more accomplished than former US Open winner Alcaraz in terms of hardcourt Grand Slam success, but the New York and Melbourne champion sometimes slips up on grass and fell early to Alexander Bublik in the Halle tune-up event.
Refreshed by his charge to the Roland Garros semi-final in an otherwise lackluster year, Djokovic will bid to reach another Wimbledon final without playing any tune-up tournaments. But few will write him off in his bid for more glory.
Djokovic will be motivated to surpass Margaret Court’s haul of 24 majors.
