20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz accidentally calls Novak Djokovic old after shock win
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There's a new Wimbledon champion in town and his name is Carlos Alcaraz, who clinched the title after a dramatic five-set match against the legendary Novak Djokovic.
The 36-year-old Serbian has seven Wimbledon titles under his belt and this is only the second time he's reached the final of the grand slam and not won it, the previous time being in 2013 when Andy Murray won it.
While Djokovic took the first set 6-1, Alcaraz clinched the second set in a tie-break and then won the third set 6-1 himself.
The fourth set went to Djokovic but Alcaraz took the final set and collapsed with joy onto the Centre Court turf upon winning the championship point.
However, during his victory speech, he got a little bit embarrassed as he accidentally implied that his opponent was old, though thankfully everyone took it in good humour.
Alcaraz, seeded first for Wimbledon but still a player many would have tipped Djokovic to beat because the Serbian is just the kind of player you don't bet against, paid tribute to his opponent after the match.
"You inspire me a lot, I started playing tennis watching you. I mean, since I was born..." he 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, nor even conceived, 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.
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 defeat 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.
Federer has retired from the sport, while Nadal has said he'll hang up his racquet next year and Djokovic told the Wimbledon crowd after his defeat to Alcaraz that he doesn't 'know how long I'll be around'.
When he does retire it'll be the end of an era for men's singles tennis, but with players like Alcaraz around the sport is in good hands.
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