The world number one Carlos Alcaraz had a phenomenal season in 2022. He stunned everyone when he defeated Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, one after the other in the Madrid Open. When he made his debut in Madrid, little did Alcaraz know he would be making waves with his racket at Caja Magica.
The young Spaniard defeated tennis legend Nadal 6-2,1-6,6-3 in the Quarterfinal before he meted out a similar result against the then-world number one Novak Djokovic. It was a memorable 3 set thriller.
Alcaraz defeated five-time ATP tour winner Nikoloz Basilashvili and Cameron Norrie en route to the Quarterfinals, where he bested Nadal. “At the end of the day, I’m the new boy, the newcomer, the one that should not have any pressure when playing against one of the best players of history,” he said ahead of the match.
1 – Carlos #Alcaraz is the first player ever to win against both Rafael #Nadal and Novak #Djokovic in a single tournament on clay courts. Thunder.#MadridOpen2022 @atptour pic.twitter.com/YZpA3PfvgS
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) May 7, 2022
He faced Djokovic in the semifinal and defeated him 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) in a grueling match that went on for over 3 hours. The teen had to work very hard but he did it and stamped his mark on the tennis court.
Carlos played well and saved 8 out of 10 break chances to remain in the game. The Serbian fought well and defended 5 out of 6 break chances. The teen was the more aggressive of the two, hitting 50 winners and holding onto opportunities to win points.
REMEMBER THIS MOMENT 🙌
Match point as @alcarazcarlos03 defeats Novak Djokovic to become the youngest finalist in #MMOPEN history. pic.twitter.com/5XhUInYuzu
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 7, 2022
Both of them played well enough to take the match to a tiebreaker, which turned out to be tightly contested. Alcaraz seized the winner with an epic forehand down the line.
Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz head-to-head and predictions for the final
Novak Djokovic is the master of the game, looking to secure his title against a much younger opponent, trying to dethrone him. This final clash will be their third match against each other, but the first one in a Grand Slam final.
Djokovic will be eyeing his 8th Wimbledon title. He has not lost the finals at SW19 since 2017. The Serbian has an impressive record of playing 45 match-winning games on Centre Court.
The second seed Djokovic will tie with Roger Federer if he can successfully defend his title against the young Spaniard. Alcaraz knows he will be playing against one of the world’s best and will still fancy his chances.
The last time these two players had faced off, Novak was victorious. It came during the Roland-Garros semifinal, where Djokovic got his revenge for last year’s Madrid Open defeat.
Djokovic is susceptible to losing a set in the final and Carlos should try to capitalize that. Alcaraz is not new to winning a set against Novak in the finals. But he shouldn’t settle for just the one. Historically, Novak’s finals have gone on for 4 sets at least.
Both Novak and Alcaraz are two of the best players in the world right now. Grass is one of Djokovic’s favorite surfaces so Carlos will have to work hard if he wants the crown for himself. Either way, it is going to be a cracking final.