No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCarlos Alcaraz Says Djokovic is Clear Wimbledon Favorite

Carlos Alcaraz Says Djokovic is Clear Wimbledon Favorite

Even though he is the world number one and recently won his first grass court tournament at Queen’s, Spanish player Carlos Alcaraz insisted on Sunday that Serbian Novak Djokovic is the “clear favorite” for Wimbledon, which begins on Monday, because “he doesn’t do anything wrong on grass.”

“For me, clearly, Djokovic is the big favorite,” said the 20-year-old from Murcia in a press conference on the eve of Wimbledon.

“He makes everything look very, very easy. He moves really well. He hits the ball really well. It’s very difficult to find weaknesses in his game,” admitted Alcaraz, who will face Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the first round of Wimbledon.

Alcaraz was defeated by Djokovic in the semifinals of Roland Garros, in a match where he suffered severe cramps. That was on clay, and now a potential duel against the Serbian would be on grass, a surface where the Spaniard is not a specialist, in addition to the “pressure” exerted by Djokovic in matches.

“He puts pressure on everyone, not just me. For me, that’s probably the toughest part when facing Novak,” he explained.

Last year, Alcaraz lost in the Wimbledon round of 16 to Italian Jannik Sinner, but since then he has progressed in his game and is one of the theoretical title contenders at the London event.

“There’s not much pressure for being the number one,” he emphasized.

Since he was crowned champion last Sunday at the Queen’s tournament, a traditional warm-up event for Wimbledon, Alcaraz acknowledges that “confidence has increased a lot” on that surface. Prior to Queen’s, he had never reached the quarterfinals in an ATP tournament on grass.

“I think my style of play is always to be aggressive. I think that’s the most important thing on grass: being aggressive, trying to come to the net, trying to hit the ball hard. That’s what I try on all surfaces, and I think on grass it works really well,” he asserted.

Trending Now

El Salvador Schools Enforce Military-Style Uniform Inspections

El Salvador's public schools will start enforcing daily inspections for students' uniforms and haircuts from August 20, as ordered by the new education minister,...

Former Costa Rican President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Faces Trial

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, who served as Costa Rica’s president from 1998 to 2002, returned to court on today, to face charges in the so-called...

End of Air Canada Strike Brings Relief for Costa Rica-Bound Passengers

Air Canada flight attendants ended their strike Tuesday after reaching a tentative agreement with the airline, paving the way for flights to resume gradually....

San Jose Airport Achieves Top 5 Global Ranking in Passenger Experience

Juan Santamaría International Airport in San Jose, Costa Rica's main gateway managed by AERIS, has earned the prestigious Level 5 Customer Experience certification from...

Costa Rica Anglers Catch Rare Orange and Albino Nurse Shark

Anglers on a fishing trip off Costa Rica's Caribbean coast caught a nurse shark unlike any seen before: bright orange skin and stark white...

In Costa Rica, Rare White-Lipped Peccaries Still Survive

Today we meet the white-lipped peccary, a large animal that travels in large groups that has disappeared from a large part of its historical...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica