Carlos Alcaraz shows Novak Djokovic that his championships are numbered

Now he has shown his mettle on grass, against the best players in the most prestigious tournament in the world. At a ceremony on the pitch after the game, Djokovic, who burst into tears when he talked about his son, graciously praised Alcaraz. He noted that, yes, he knew Alcaraz would be an instant force on red clay and blue paint. Now also grass? Already?

“I didn’t expect him to play so well on grass this year,” said Djokovic. “But he has proven that he is without a doubt the best player in the world. He plays fantastic tennis on different surfaces and he deserves to be where he is.”

Even before the racket smash, there was a long moment when Djokovic might have gotten the signal that he was in for a challenging few years.

With Djokovic serving at 1-3 in the third set, the two men played a 32-point match with 13 deuces that lasted over 26 minutes. Both players ran and dived and made great shots, and the spectators screamed in delight at the extraordinary play and guts on display.

“The guts Alcaraz showed was absolutely remarkable,” said Evert.

Finally, after Djokovic hit a forehand into the net, Alcaraz had broken the serve again. He put his finger to his ear and asked the audience for more noise, and Djokovic needed to know. For as many years as he can hold out, Alcaraz will probably be there too, even on grass.

“I think it’s good for the sport, 1 and 2 in the world face each other in a nearly five-hour, five-set thriller,” said Djokovic. “Couldn’t be better for our sport in general.”