Novak Djokovic's staggering Carlos Alcaraz call after Wimbledon final

A tennis player with the best parts of Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer all mixed into one "complete" package? It's a scary thought but one Djokovic admits is very much a reality after the Serb was dethroned as the king of Wimbledon by Carlos Alcaraz.

The 20-year-old Spaniard achieved what no other player had managed in 10 years by beating Djokovic on Centre Court at Wimbledon to claim the second grand slam title of a career that promises so many more. The 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 triumph for Alcaraz ended Djokovic's quest for a fifth straight crown, also denying the Serb a record-equalling eighth trophy at the All England club and 24th major overall.

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Djokovic's bid to match Federer's Wimbledon feat and Margaret Court's all-time record for grand slam singles title will have to wait for another time. Few would bet against the 36-year-old adding to his men's record grand slam trophy haul, but in the form of the 20-year-old whizz-kid from Spain, Djokovic knows he has very much met his match.

Lesser players than Alcaraz could have gone to pieces after being thoroughly outplayed by Djokovic in the opening set. Things looked particularly grim for the Spaniard when he found himself set point down in the second stanza, but Alcaraz found the mental resolve and confidence in his own game to battle back and square the match up after taking the tiebreak.

It was a pivotal moment that would have gone a long way towards banishing the demons of Alcaraz's semi-final defeat to Djokovic at the French Open, when nerves brought about match-defining leg cramps. The fact Alcaraz has been able to learn and adapt makes him an even more frightening proposition for rivals - remembering he had only played four professional grass-court tournaments before this year's Wimbledon triumph.

Djokovic, who had won 34 straight matches at Wimbledon before finally tasting defeat against Alcaraz, said he was surprised at how quickly the 20-year-old had mastered playing on all surfaces. In perhaps the greatest compliment he could pay the World No.1, Djokovic said he possessed the best qualities of the previous 'Big Three' of men's tennis, describing Alcaraz as the "complete player".

Novak Djokovic pays Carlos Alcaraz ultimate compliment

"I didn't expect him to play so well this year on grass, but he's proven he's the best player in the world," Djokovic started off saying in his press conference after the final. "I haven't played a player like him, ever.

"People have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal), and myself. I would agree with that. He's got basically the best of all three worlds. He's got this Spanish bull mentality, fighting spirit and incredible defence that we've seen with Rafa.

"He's got some nice sliding backhands, some similarities with my backhands. He is a complete player."

Djokovic looked irritated at times during the unmistakably pro-Alcaraz crowd scenes, with even the normally impartial British Royals - or at least Prince George and Princess Charlotte - cheering the young Spaniard on. Djokovic copped boos from sections of the crowd after a lengthy bathroom break before the fourth set and again when he smashed a racquet into the net post as frustrations boiled over late in the contest, but the Serb was magnanimous in defeat.

Novak Djokovic rues missed opportunities

He was left to regret the inability to execute his usually clinical ability to take chances when they came his way at crucial moments. After outplaying Alcaraz in a one-sided first set, Djokovic then slugged out an 85-minute second and had a point for a two-set lead in the tiebreak but dumped a backhand into the net.

After battling back into the match and taking the fourth set, Djokovic then looked odds on to break serve for a 2-0 lead in the decider but uncharacteristically mis-hit a high forehand volley. Minutes later he dropped his own serve and took out his frustrations by pulverising a racquet into the net post.

"In the tiebreak in the second, the backhands kind of let me down," he said afterwards. "Set point, I missed the backhand. A little bit of a bad bounce, but I should not have missed that shot.

"I managed to regroup and regain the momentum midway in the fourth. I felt that the momentum shifted to my side. "That break point (in the fifth), I played a really good point, but it was very windy and the wind took it to an awkward place where I couldn't hit the smash."

with AAP

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