Wimbledon 2023: All action Alcaraz is just like me, says Djokovic

By James Toney at Wimbledon

Something's got to give as the best player in the world takes on the best in history, a seemingly simple equation with no easy answer.

For two decades just four men have enjoyed Wimbledon singles success - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.

In the 20 years before there were nine, just to underline the scale of that storied domination and golden age for the sport.

Djokovic is in no mood to let that hegemony slip as he takes on top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the men's singles final on Centre Court, a place where he hasn't lost for a decade.

It’s easy to get lost in the numbers with Novak, who is looking for a record-equalling eighth title and a fifth in succession, in what will be a remarkable and unprecedented 35th Grand Slam final.

But the guard changes quickly here at the ivy-clad All England Club, blink and you might just miss it.

It's 22 years since Pete Sampras, the seven-time champion, lost to a ponytailed Swiss teenager making his Centre Court debut, a player who would go on to rewrite Pistol Pete’s own records in the decades that followed.

It's hard to be certain about anything in sport but Alcaraz is going to win Wimbledon titles. However, it's far from guaranteed he will win his first on Sunday.

Djokovic is full of compliments for his opponent, even claiming the Spaniard reminds him a lot of himself, a rather neatly executed humble brag.

"He's been incredibly successful in adapting to the surfaces and demands and challenges of opponents on a given day," said the 23-time Grand Slam winner.

"I see this as a great trait, as a great virtue. I also see this as one of my biggest strengths throughout my career, that I was able to constantly develop, adapt, and adjust my game depending on the challenges basically. That's what he's doing very early on in his career.

"I do have more experience playing in many more Grand Slam or Wimbledon finals than him.

"He's in great shape but so am I. He's very motivated, young and hungry. I'm hungry, too, so let's have a feast.

"He's one of the quickest guys on the tour. He can do pretty much anything on the court but I consider myself also very complete player too.

"He's an amazing player and also a great guy also off the court. He carries himself very, very well. He respects the history of the sport, respects everyone. I've no bad words about him at all."

Alcaraz admitted tension got the better of him after he was hobbled by cramp in his recent French Open semi-final with Djokovic, a match he ultimately surrendered tamely, 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1.

That match was a wakeup call for the Spaniard, whose rapid ascent to the summit of the sport seemed to come without showing any weaknesses.

“I have a psychologist that I’ve worked with since the beginning of 2020," said Alcaraz, when asked what he'd do differently to the match at Roland Garros.

“She helps me a lot. I will talk with her how to prepare for the match, that important moment for me. It is not going to be easy but I'll talk with her.

“I'll try to get into the court with not as much nerves as I probably had in French Open. I need to try and enjoy it, as I didn't enjoy that match at all.

"My preparations will be different and I hope not to get cramp, I think I'll be better."

Djokovic's career has come at a hinge of tennis history, forever intwined with the successes of Federer and Nadal. Only two men's players have ever won the calendar Grand Slam - Don Budge in 1938 and Rod Laver in 1962 and 1969, an exclusive club Djokovic is desperate to join after starting the season with wins in Melbourne and Paris.

His fans fume he still doesn't get the respect he deserves and you sense doing things Rafa and Roger haven't just fuels Djokovic's desire.

"It's no secret that Grand Slams are the highest priority for me, the highest goals on my priority list," he added.

"Every time I start the season, I want to peak at these four tournaments. I try to organise my schedule, training schedule, and my preparation weeks, and all the tournaments, according to these priorities.

"I'm really glad that this year, actually last several years, my Grand Slam seasons are amazing. The results are fantastic.

“We do things in a proper way on a daily basis. I think that gives us benefits when we get to the later stages of the big tournaments. Most of the players are probably exhausted a bit physically, mentally, or maybe they don't feel like they can go a step further.

"I feel that the job is not finished until I lift the trophy."

Alcaraz can't draw on the same institutional knowledge of what to do when it matters most on the tennis big stage, though his unrelenting game will ask Djokovic all the right questions.

"Physically Novak is a beast and mentally he's a beast too," he said.

Game recognises game and beasts, of course, are there to be tamed.