New Delhi: World no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz’s victory at Wimbledon 2024 marks a significant moment in the history of tennis. With the Spaniard winning the French Open at the Roland Garros and the elusive Wimbledon trophy in succession in 2024, he has become only the sixth male player to have done so since 1968. His dominance in the international tennis circuit tells a lot about the potential end of the “Big 3” (Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer) and the dawn of a new era.
The ongoing year first saw Italy’s Jannik Sinner as the winner of the Australian Open 2024, defeating Daniil Medvedev of Russia and eyeing the top world ranking. Moving further, the prestigious Roland Garros saw Alcaraz defeat Germany’s Alexander Zverev to bag his third Grand Slam title. It is highly noteworthy that out of the “Big 3”, only Djokovic featured in all of the major events in the ongoing year.
With Nadal sidelined by injuries, Federer already retired, and Djokovic still in the competition, Alcaraz’s triumph indeed signifies a changing of the guard in men’s tennis. Apart from being a personal milestone, the Wimbledon victory for the Spaniard is also an indication of the sport’s evolving landscape. The young blood winning the majors clearly tells that they are ready to take the reins from the champions who ruled the game for the last two decades.
This is the reign of @carlosalcaraz 👑#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/hYpzOCi1YR
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2024
Kyrgios questions ‘changing of the guard’
The likes of Medvedev and Zverev too boast heavy potential to take up the reins, weighing in on the fact with their tremendous skillset. After the 21-year-old’s win at the SW19, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios took to his social media account on “X” (formerly Twitter) and questioned a possible shift in men’s tennis. He wrote, “Wow. Love Djokovic, but is this maybe the first time we can say the ‘changing of the guard’ ?!?!”
Wow. Love Djokovic, but is this maybe the first time we can say the ‘changing of the guard’ ?!?!
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 14, 2024
Djokovic’s 2024 (The last of Big 3)
The 37-year-old Serbian has lost his seemingly final Wimbledon and the year earlier saw him withdrawing from the French Open due to his knee injury, also giving up on his world no. 1 ranking. Even the Wimbledon at once seemed doubtful for him in terms of participation as he played the whole tournament with a maimed knee. His age is clearly catching up and the emergence of the young guns in 2024 asserts that the new guard is finally taking over.
We’re still dreaming! 🏆🏆💚
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/BYR1rcYFiy
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) July 14, 2024
The dominance with which Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal have played in their prime is totally unparalleled and foretells record-breaking achievements. They have won 60 Grand Slam titles collectively which in itself defines their brilliance and the legends that they build themselves to be. However, the likes of Alcaraz and Sinner, doing such exploits at a much younger age change the entire view.
Mirroring their seniors, Alcaraz’s ability to perform under pressure while maintaining his versatility and mental toughness is quite exceptional. Meanwhile, Sinner’s achievement in Melbourne weighs in on the fact due to his ability to perform consistently and defeat the top-ranked players. The Big 3 would be nothing but happy to pass on the baton to the emerging talents in men’s tennis.
Carlos Alcaraz’s victory at the Wimbledon 2024 hints at a possible shift from the “Big 3” of international tennis towards the beginning of a new era brimming with youngsters. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
