Juan Carlos Ferrero spoke about the 2024 Wimbledon Championships final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, suggesting that it seemed as if the Serbian simply felt outclassed by the Spaniard.
The final wasn’t as exciting as the previous year when Alcaraz had to go the distance to win his first grass-court major. This time around, he only needed three sets, which was very impressive.
It likely had more to do with the 37-year-old not being able to play his best than with Alcaraz being stunning, even though the Spaniard really played stunning tennis in the first two sets of the match.
When they’re both at a high level, it’s always a close match, but Djokovic wasn’t even close to his best level, and it showed. He openly admitted after the match that Alcaraz outshone him in every regard, and the four-time major winner’s coach shares a similar opinion.
Speaking after the final, Ferrero said that Djokovic’s level surprised him a little bit as it seemed like he wasn’t able to keep up, only minutes into the match.
“I was a little surprised by Djokovic’s level. I think he felt outclassed from the start. It was hard for him to keep up with Carlos’ pace and ball speed. It’s true that last year he was better, maybe this year, not being at 100%, it was a little harder for him.”
Quite a few things contributed to Djokovic not being at his best, but the knee surgery from a month ago certainly had something to do with it. He’s an experienced player, so if he looked outclassed from the start, it’s likely because he realized he was in big trouble.
It was apparent to people watching, and he certainly was aware of it while playing. Now, it is back to the drawing board for Djokovic, who will have more time to prepare for the Olympics. On the other hand, there was only praise for Alcaraz from his coach Ferrero after he won his fourth career Grand Slam title.
“Growth has to be there, we have to keep going. I think that now, at 21, you can’t stop growing. You have to keep growing and move forward, have that enthusiasm and motivation to go to each tournament to win.”
