By Emilio Sanchez Vicario, CEO of the Emilio Sanchez Academy & Former Tennis Pro.
And for many more years, we will remember the wonderful final that went into the history of this past Wimbledon 2023 on the central court of the “All England Club”
Author: Emilio Sanchez Vicario
Pure sport, physical, mental, generational fighting, opponents were 16 years apart. On the one hand, Carlos I could rank the most technically complete player in history at his age. He has revolutionized tennis, using his punches in any of the zones, both on his side and the opponents, with his drop shots, a mixture of high and low balls, strong and soft, topspins and slices. He plays deep and strong like all modern tennis players, but he also plays in the inside half of the court as players did in ancient tennis and there is the great evolution. Or REVOLUTION.
In front of him, he has had the champion in his maximum expression by building together all the pillars technical, tactical, physical, and mental. Djoko has found his best version after getting the best form, he lives tennis in a spartan way. Taking care of his physique in an innovative way, living, eating, and sleeping to take care of his body, developing that survival instinct of the most truthful predators, using their best weapons when emotions betray you. He is able to enter a state where he never makes mistakes and abstracts himself from the emotions that during the game can often make him vulnerable. But when it really counts, it does not affect him, it is as if there were two Djokos, the one who is negatively excited when he things don’t count, and the one who does not affect him and appears in the moments that matter. Since Roland Garros he had won 16 tiebreaks, more than 100 points and, we could count his mistakes on one hand. Carlos broke that record and was better in emotional moments.
The Spanish player could read better, be more patient, more aggressive, confident, be more happy, and, above all, be more predatory. In the points that change the matches, he was happy and found the formula to make his best game and, get Djoko to show his negative emotions in the key moments, which are the ones that count. In the 5-4 down in the tiebreak, Djoko missed two backhands in a row, his best shot, and there the game changed. Carlos managed to win the battle of emotions to end up dominating in the third. Drop a little in the fourth, but after Djoko’s mistake in the net at the break point of the third game. In the fifth, Carlos kept his composure and fought the battle the same way. These epic matches are defined in those few points and Carlitos knew how to endure without being weighed by emotions, as happened in Paris. In there, everyone thought he was winning, he found a wall. In London. Carlos won the emotional battle to win the biggest game of his career. He was more resilient, a fighter, positive in adversity, confident, calm, and inspired by victory.
-Alcaraz during the ATP Challenger of the Emilio Sanchez Academy, Barcelona.
Carlos did not make one of the matches that characterize him with total domination, but he did grow as progressed. He won in the cathedral against the champion of the last 5 years, against the tennis player who has played more finals in history. But the most important thing is to win in the final of Wimbledon against one of the top 3 in history, Djoko, Rafa, and Fed, and it is not the same to beat them. Therefore this victory counts triple, it strengthens him in the world top and leads him to the glory of getting closer to becoming like them.
By Emilio Sanchez Vicario, CEO of the Emilio Sanchez Academy & Former Tennis Pro.
