July 4th 2023.
Carlos Alcaraz sent a clear message to Novak Djokovic on Tuesday, as he put on a dominant display in his first-round victory. The 36-year-old Frenchman, who will be retiring from tennis after this year's Wimbledon Championships, put up a good fight in the third set of his match against Jeremy Chardy, eventually losing 6-0 6-2 7-5 to the world No.1.
Alcaraz, who recently won Queen's Club in the lead up to Wimbledon, is one of Djokovic's closest title challengers. He will now face an unseeded Frenchman in either Alexandre Muller or Arthur Rinderknech in the second round.
When asked what his goal is for this year's tournament, Alcaraz responded without hesitation: "To win the tournament. I have a lot of confidence right now. The main goal for me this tournament is to win, to win it." By his own admission, Alcaraz believes he will be better prepared to face Djokovic if they meet again in the final, as he will be able to better handle the pressure.
Alcaraz's victory was celebrated on Twitter, with ATP Tour posting a photo of him in action. There was also a reminder from Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev to Wimbledon fans planning on booing him, and a frank reaction from Coco Gauff after her shock defeat.
It remains to be seen whether Alcaraz will be able to get past Djokovic and lift the Wimbledon title. But with his confidence high and his determination to win clear, the Spaniard is certainly a force to be reckoned with.
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