Lindsay Davenport has now revealed what she heard Carlos Alcaraz ranting at his box mid-way through yesterday’s Wimbledon final.
It was an uncharacteristic performance from the affable Spaniard, lacking energy and intensity, marred by his visible frustration.
Usually pictured playing with a smile across his face, whether it be nerves or the quality of his opponent, the anger of his imminent loss was clearly getting to him. This resulted in a handful of outbursts, sent in the direction of his box.
We are not used to seeing an unhappy Carlos Alcaraz, let alone in a Grand Slam final where, before yesterday, he boasted a 100% record.
Now, Davenport has offered an insight into what was said and how this might have affected his performance.
What Carlos Alcaraz was heard shouting at his box in the Wimbledon final
Analysing the match alongside Jim Courier for Tennis Channel Live, naturally, she was stunned by what she had witnessed.
After all, Jannik Sinner strolled to success in all honesty, aside from a blip in the second half of the first set.
By far the better player, and looking far more composed than he did five weeks prior, he won Wimbledon with surgical precision, and Alcaraz could do little to stop it.
It’s likely that powerlessness which contributed to his frustration, as Davenport claimed: “It was a lot of one-way conversations and most of the words coming from Alcaraz. At one point, he looked at his box and said he’s better than me from the back of the court. Just kind of a weird tone that we’re not used to seeing from Alcaraz.
“One thing Sinner did so well as well, he was ready for the drop shot, and he took away one of Alcaraz’s biggest strengths early on.
“One reason why he was at the net so much. It felt like he was always kind of looking for that drop shot. Alcaraz started getting flustered and missing them, and Sinner did a fantastic job of taking Alcaraz out of his comfort zone on grass.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are great ambassadors for the sport
The fact that Alcaraz managed to bottle this frustration and turn it into a gracious, humble post-match interview just speaks volumes for how mature the 22-year-old is.
He, alongside Sinner, is one of the two best ambassadors that men’s tennis could possibly have hoped for to carry the torch for the next decade.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
After all, there was no aggravation or drama. Just the two best players in the world hitting thunderbolts at one another, and stunning Centre Court with their undeniable quality.
The 23-year-old was equally magnanimous in his on-court interview too, and later on, Sinner revealed what his relationship with Alcaraz is really like off court.
Tennis is in good hands with this duo at the helm, both superb players and remarkable humans too, even if frustration got the better of yesterday’s loser.