Novak Djokovic made a bold prediction about Carlos Alcaraz after setting up a Wimbledon finals rematch.
The Serbian fought off the best Lorenzo Musetti had to offer in their semi-final as he triumphed in straight sets to reach his tenth final at the All-England Club.
The 37-year-old has improved his level through each match if the tournament and was relatively untroubled against the 25th seed.
There was plenty of uncertainty surrounding the second seed’s fitness given the operation he had on his torn meniscus less than a month ago.
But Djokovic is looking very strong ahead of Sunday’s championship match where he will compete for a record 25th Grand Slam.
What did Novak Djokovic say about Carlos Alcaraz before their Wimbledon final rematch?
Djokovic cruised through the first set against Musetti, but found himself down a break in the second set.
But the tennis legend in his usual fashion battled back to level proceedings and kept Musetti at bay as he continued to apply the pressure.
Djokovic stepped up his game in the tiebreak by losing just two points on the way to levelling the match at a set apiece.
Djokovic needed a solitary break of serve in set three before sealing the win to set up a rematch with Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. Ahead of the blockbuster match, Djokovic praised his opponent and assessed his chances of winning.
“He’s deservedly one of the greatest 21-year-old’s we’ve ever seen in this sport and we’re for sure going to see a lot of him in the future, no doubt”, he said. “He’s going to win many more Grand Slams, but hopefully maybe not this one, in the future when I retire in about 15 years.
“Jokes aside, he beat me in the Wimbledon finals last year in a thrilling five-setter, so I don’t expect anything less than a huge battle on the court. He’s as complete a player as they come, so it’s going to take the best of my abilities to beat him on Sunday.”
What is Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s head to head record?
Alcaraz and Djokovic have one of the best and most compelling rivalries on the ATP Tour.
It was clear the two were set to battle in many epic matches following their first contest at the Madrid Open in 2022, which Alcaraz edged in three pulsating sets.
His second victory over Djokovic came in the 2023 Wimbledon final, in what was just his third appearance at SW19.
After losing the first set in convincing fashion, the Spaniard played with no fear and used his aggressive shot making and elite court coverage to get the better of Djokovic and end his 10-year winning run on Centre Court in a five-set classic.
Djokovic has won their other three encounters, with the most recent coming in the semi-finals of the ATP Finals in 2023. For the first time one of their encounters ended it straight sets, as Djokovic completed a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 victory and went on to win the title.
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