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Topics: UK News, Sport, Wimbledon, Andy Murray
Dominic Smithers
Carlos Alcaraz overcame his biggest challenge yet this weekend when he defeated Novak Djokovic to become Wimbledon champion.
The 20-year-old managed to break the Serbian's vice-like grip of the championship, taking the title in an incredible five-set match.
For any aspiring tennis player, alongside the other three grand slams - Roland-Garros, the US Open, and the Australian Open - it is the pinnacle of the sport.
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And it won't surprise you to learn that Alcaraz was no different.
Footage has resurfaced from when he was just 12 years old, with the young boy being asked about his ambitions for the future.
When asked who is tennis hero was, Alcaraz surprisingly replies: "Roger Federer."
The interviewer also asks: "What is your dream if you become a pro?"
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Not thinking twice, Alcaraz says: "To win Roland-Garros and Wimbledon."
Yesterday (16 July), saw the young star achieve one of those, adding the British championship to the US Open title he won last year.
We'll have to wait until 2024 to see if he manages to add the French Open to his growing collection, and I wouldn't bet against him.
Following his victory, Alcaraz was clearly overwhelmed, dropping to the floor as Djokovic hit the net with his shot.
And to add salt to the wound, in his acceptance speech he accidentally implied that his opponent was old. Fortunately, though, he pulled it back.
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"You inspire me a lot, I started playing tennis watching you. I mean, since I was born..." Alcaraz said, before stumbling over his words as the Centre Court crowd laughed along and Djokovic gave a grin.
"You already were winning tournaments. It's amazing. You said that 36 is the new 26, you make that happen, it's amazing."
In fairness, you've got to go back to 2002 to find a Wimbledon Men's Singles champion not called Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Murray.
In 2002, when Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt was lifting the trophy, the now 20-year-old Alcaraz was not even born, so he's probably earned the right to see some of the titans of tennis as old timers since they've been around his whole life.
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That being said, Alcaraz has a point that Djokovic, at 36, can still play like he's in what most would see as the prime years of his career.
Before this year's Wimbledon final he hadn't lost on Centre Court for a whole decade, with his 2013 final loss against Murray being the last time he'd tasted defeat on the turf.
Of the 'big three' of tennis comprising of Federer, Nadal and himself (sorry Andy) he's the one still going strongest in the sport, though even he has acknowledged that he doesn't know how long he's got left in the game.