Youth on the rise: Tennis consolidates its new era
EL PAÍS EnglishJul 12, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz, the World No. 1 men's tennis player, defeated the seven-time and reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic in a five-set final to win his first Wimbledon title on Sunday.
Despite losing the first set 1-6, the 20-year-old Spaniard bounced back to win the second set in a tie-breaker and the third set 6-1. Djokovic claimed the fourth set 6-3, but Alcaraz collected his second Grand Slam title by winning the final set 6-4.
After two-decades of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal dominating the men's tennis circuit, this tournament marks the conclusion of that golden age. A new era which will see Medvedev, Tsitsipas, and Zverev challenge the rising new generation — led by Alcaraz, Rune, and Sinner — has now begun.
While the men's tennis circuit is seeing the rise of promising young players, it doesn't mean the once-dominant generation of players is finished. The rise of Alcaraz marks the beginning of an all-court rivalry with the unmatched 23-Grand Slam winner Djokovic. Tennis may be at a turning point, but it's yet to be seen whether or not Alcaraz's win is an isolated incident of underdog success.
There's a 50% chance that the all-time tennis Grand Slam singles record for men will be at least 25 by 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.