By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz out-dueled Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon and realize a dream.
Next season, Alcaraz aims to be a dream denier.
World No. 1 Djokovic swept three of the four Grand Slam titles this year and is playing for more in 2024: the Golden Grand Slam.
“You can win four slams and Olympic gold,” Djokovic told the media in Turin after stomping Jannik Sinner to win his seventh title of the season at the ATP Finals.
Meeting the media in Mexico ahead of an exhibition vs. Tommy Paul, Alcaraz said Djokovic is capable of completing the Golden Slam and his mission is to stop it.
“2024, with the Games, is going to be a special year for everyone, players, athletes, for people who love sports,” Alcaraz told the media in Mexico. “Djokovic has already shown year after year that he is ready to win all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold, but we are here to stop him. It’s going to be a very intense 2024.”
The 20-year-old Alcaraz has ambitious aims of his own: Win an Olympic medal for Spain next year and someday solidify his status as an all-time great.
“With the Games in the summer, after Wimbledon, it’s going to be a tough season, like all the ones I’ve done so far,” Alcaraz said. “We’re going to try to get strong, put ourselves in the best possible condition, to try to make it the same or better than this season and try to bring a medal to my country.
“That’s what I’d like the most and that’s what we’re going to work for.”
The Paris Olympic Games may well provide us with a tennis Dream Team as Alcaraz says he wants to play doubles with two-time Olympic gold-medal champion Rafael Nadal and the king of clay has said he’s all in with that plan if he’s healthy.
Alcaraz dreams of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Nadal on the doubles court and someday standing side-by-side as an iconic champion.
“I dream of being one of the best in history,” Alcaraz said. “It’s a big dream, but in this life you have to be something big.
“I’m the same guy I’ve always been, no matter how famous I am, I’m not going to change the person I am. We tried to put aside all the expectations and comparisons with Federer, Rafa and Djokovic, to focus on my path.”
Photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty
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