Alcaraz warns Djokovic: "I think I'm going to win"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 13 Jul 2024 | 11.30

Streaming Challenger Little Rock live tennis

Sign up with Bet365 here
Make your first deposit of at least €5
Go to the “Live” section and watch every match

Carlos Alcaraz does not understand hierarchies or favoritisms either. The current title defender is one match away from lifting the golden trophy once again, but he will face Novak Djokovic once more. The seven-time Wimbledon champion aims to equal Roger Federer, despite having undergone knee surgery a month ago and his tense relationship with the Centre Court crowd. Meanwhile, Carlitos focuses on his tennis, which has been with him for much of these two weeks, and on minimizing disconnections.

Regardless of their journey in this Wimbledon, the lows of the Spaniard and the conflicts of the Serbian with the crowd are left behind. On Sunday, a Grand Slam final will be played, the 4th for Alcaraz, the 37th for Djokovic. And El Palmar's representative addressed this difference in comments reported by diario AS. “Djokovic knows much better than I do what it's like to play a Wimbledon final, what it's like to play a Grand Slam final. He is much more prepared in that regard than I am,” affirms the title defender.

However, if there is one thing that characterizes Alcaraz, it is his boldness and his ability to defeat anyone, no matter if across the net stands a winner of 24 Grand Slams: “I believe in myself, I believe in the level at which I am playing, I believe I will win. That's in my head. Obviously, until Sunday, there will be days when I will be nervous, that's logical. But I know what it's like to be in this position,” confesses the Murcian who, at 21, already knows the feeling of playing a big match: “I know how to deal with everything that will happen until the moment of the final. I know what I have to do”.

- Same final, different context

Despite the repeat of last year's final, both arrive in different conditions and different contexts. On the Spanish side, he is the shining champion of Roland Garros where he demonstrated overcoming and resilience, after a clay court season conditioned by his injured right forearm. Meanwhile, the Serbian is having one of his most inconsistent seasons yet without having won any titles so far and this being his first final of the year. Added to this is his knee injury suffered a month ago in Paris, from which he is already, or seemingly, fully recovered.

All these factors make Carlitos a stronger candidate, but he remains cautious: “With Djokovic's knee issue, maybe they see me as a favorite. Because of how he's playing, based on his statements. But if he's in a final, it's because physically and in terms of tennis, he's at a very high level. And I don't consider myself a favorite. In a final, I don't see favorites anymore”, opines the world number three.

Previous occurrences, previous matchups, and this year's results and sensations do not matter. However, Carlitos shows, with each passing tournament, that he is prepared for any battle, and Sunday's final will be no exception: “Simply, let's see who plays better in that match, who deals better with the situations. And I believe I am capable of doing the best I can”, concludes an Alcaraz who is just one match away from achieving his second Wimbledon and his fourth Grand Slam at 21 years old.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz avisa a Djokovic: "Creo que voy a ganar"