Novak Djokovic is having an impressive season, and he is on course to end it on a high note. He has been breaking records left and right and making new ones. A stark contrast to Novak‘s year is that of Carlos Alcaraz. The young Spaniard was touted as the heir to the throne but has since faltered in his path.
Carlos took the tennis world by storm when he made his debut. Fans and pundits alike felt he represented the best traits of the ‘Big 3’ of tennis. Carlos proved them right when he won the US Open last year and kept adding more ATP titles to his name.
Alcaraz was sensational when he defeated Novak in the Wimbledon summit clash. He singlehandedly stopped the Djokovic juggernaut at SW19. Many saw it as a change of guards, and his sponsor, Nike, declared that the Alcaraz era was upon us. However, Alcaraz has failed to live up to expectations, and Novak has remained the undisputed king of the sport.
Dear @Nike just to advise you that Novak Djokovic in the last 6 months has won his last 31/32 games along with winning 2 slams and 2 masters in the
“Alcaraz”Era.I agree with your point where you say that age doesn’t matter though. 😉 https://t.co/SntLRQFPqt
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) November 5, 2023
Since Carlos won the silverware at the All England Club, Novak has won every competition he has played in. He also created a new record by winning his 24th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in September. Novak also won the Rolex Paris Masters and is well on course to win his seventh ATP Finals trophy as well.
Fans have taken to social media to ridicule Nike since they released the poster declaring the start of the ‘Alcaraz era.’ One fan wondered, “What can Nike say now?” Here are a few reactions to the poster.
On July 16, Alcaraz’s sponsor Nike said we were now in the Alcaraz era and implied that Novak Djokovic was finished.
Since then,
Djokovic: 18-0 record, 3 titles won, #1 in the world
Alcaraz: 0 titles, #2 in the worldWhat can Nike say now? pic.twitter.com/cwVxZbp8lx
— Danny 🐊 (@DjokovicFan_) November 5, 2023
And Djokovic is still undefeated in the Alcaraz Era! I love this era! pic.twitter.com/01evZaLNTF
— Ⓜ️🅾️🚧💲📧N (@m_dezyani) November 5, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz has come under fire of late for his performances not being on par. At the same time, Novak has a near-perfect record this season.
How has Carlos Alcaraz fared since Wimbledon?
The young Spaniard had a forgettable outing at the Paris Masters, as he crashed out in the first round he played. Roman Safiullin knocked him out in straight sets, thereby dashing his hopes of ending the year as the top-ranked player.
However, this has been Alcaraz’s story since the Wimbledon title victory. While he has looked in good touch, he has not won any titles since. Carlos has also faced criticism for focusing entirely on Novak.
He made it to the finals of the Cincinnati Open, where he put up a good fight against Djokovic. However, the Serb rallied hard and avenged the Wimbledon loss. Alcaraz made it to the semifinals of the US Open before Daniil Medvedev defeated him.
Carlos Alcaraz had been very vocal about his goals for this year. However, with no titles to show for his performances and Novak in prime form, Alcaraz’s dreams will have to wait.