Wimbledon is just around the corner, and Carlos Alcaraz is preparing to make it a hat-trick of wins.
The reigning French Open champion successfully defended that crown at Roland Garros earlier this month, and now he will hope to do the same at Wimbledon.
Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in last year’s final, and the Serbian will perhaps be looking for retribution this year as he eyes a 25th major title.
The two players are at opposite ends of their careers, but for the next fortnight, both will have their eyes firmly on the same prize.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty ImagesThe difference between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic identified
Ronan Lafaix is a renowned mental coach, and he used to be on the ATP Tour, coaching the likes of Gilles Simon, Corentin Moutet and Stephane Robert.
Ahead of Wimbledon, he’s shared what he loves about Alcaraz, and it’s something that sets him beyond Djokovic.
He told Le Sport 10: “He’s very calm. That’s his number one asset.
“He impresses me enormously compared to Djokovic.
“He’s capable of hitting a lot of winning shots, which isn’t the case for the Serb, who remains a huge player but with more ‘normal’ shots. Djokovic has worked a lot on himself, but I think that deep down, he is not totally serene.
“Alcaraz, on the other hand, is incredibly calm, and his level of play defies textbooks. I saw shots I had never seen before.”
Alcaraz the man to beat at Wimbledon
Having won the last two SW19 titles and the recent French Open, it’s fair to say that Alcaraz is the man with a target on his back.
Jannik Sinner is waiting for his first Wimbledon crown, and he should go well again, but Djokovic can’t be discounted.
You have to go back to 2023 and the US Open to find a Grand Slam won by the Serbian, and that is providing some concern over whether he can get to number 25.
Djokovic will know that time is running out on his quest for another major and that could make him a dangerous proposition this year.
Still, Lafaix is right. Nothing fazes Alcaraz at all and it feels very difficult to look beyond the Spaniard to win the title again this year.