Carlos Alcaraz's Title and Wimbledon 2023 Prove Tennis Hasn’t Peaked, It’s Just Evolving

Alcaraz’s win shows there will always be emerging, exciting talent in the sport.

Hey everyone, as we still come down from our Djokovic-Alcaraz high, here’s a Wimbledon final-wrap mailbag and lookahead:

• Here’s a reup on the 50 Parting Shots column

• Here’s a long Q&A we did with Juan Carlos Ferrero

• Come for Northwestern, stay for the Carlos/Chris/Martina chatter …

• A favorite moment of the tournament? Watch this

• Who’s in the market for a summer tennis read? Here comes Maddie Blais with a biography of Alice Marble

• Tennis treasure Colette Lewis has your Wimbledon juniors wrap.

• Hearing the ATP’s Banja Luka 250 is heading to Bucharest, Romania.

Onward….

Carlos Alcaraz downed tennis great Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon :: Alastair Grant/AP Photo

Jon,

For years I’ve said that once Fed (and Nadal) were done, my interest would drop. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I followed this year’s Wimbledon more closely than I have in years. Right from Day One, I watched more ESPN and Tennis Channel than any time I can remember.

I saw a mic’d up Chris Eubanks getting interviewed while warming up pre-tournament. Honestly, I never heard of him until that moment. His answers were so grounded in reality, he immediately became someone I rooted for. His underdog run, along with his booming serve, was an unexpected bonus. Hubert Hurkacz suffered the same fate as Andy Roddick did in 2009—virtually flawless with his serve; two loose points in tiebreaks and you go home in disbelief. With the roof closed, his serve sounded like cannon fire. The men’s final was as good as it gets—bonus because Djokovic lost—that I put away my serving ball bounce clicker counters and watched every point intently. Hoping I can attend this year’s US Open, it should be a good one!

Bill C., Verona, NJ

• There’s a broader point here. Sunday’s final was everything you could want in sports theater. Unscripted, sinuous, mental, physical, gripping, binary. But we also got a more macro expression of sport’s virtues. It evolves. It is generative. We think there’s no basketball future after Michael Jordan; it has reached its peak and will never be played at a more elevated level. But wait, here come Kobe and LeBron and a kid from Greece and a ponderous genius from Serbia. In men’s tennis, we spent years worrying about life after the Big Three. But wait, there’s this kid from the guts of Spain, who builds on the foundations of Federer/Nadal/Djokovic. (And wears a bucket hat, to boot.)

Who will take down Alcaraz? the salon suddenly asks. My answer: someone. Maybe he’s 15, maybe he’s 12; maybe he has yet to be born. Maybe he is Swiss and upper-middle class. Maybe he is on a Spanish island being trained by his uncle. Or in the hills of Serbia. Or in D.C., where his immigrant father is the maintenance man at the tennis club. But there will always be a next. Sports, like AI, will build on past input and just get better.

Let’s enjoy Alcaraz. Let’s continue marveling at Djokovic. Let’s toast Nadal and Federer. But let’s not worry about tennis having peaked. A new player, a new rivalry will seize us. A new set of story lines will emerge. As is always the case.

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Jon, I was surprised that Djokovic whacking the netpost didn’t make your 50 Parting Shots. I thought it was disgraceful. Did you not?

Pablo, L.A.

• Full disclosure, I do those 50 Thoughts as I go. There wasn’t really time or space for a disquisition. And I’m not sure there’s much to add here. It was indefensible. Without getting too sanctimonious, I thought it was particularly appalling at Centre Court, in the Wimbledon final. And apart from the breach of sportsmanship, it was really, well, dumb, an injury risk in the fifth set of the Wimbledon final. Here was another case of Djokovic self-sabotaging. There is—and I can’t stress this enough—so much about the guy that is admirable and worthy of not merely respect, but affection. But he is nothing if not complicated. He commits an act like that, and you shake your head. Why don’t the crowds and casual fans favor him the way they did/do Serena and Federer and Nadal? Well …

Plus: Here’s a discussion we had in Tennis Channel–istan: Should a player be denied a medical timeout for certain self-inflicted injuries? When players twist ankles running for shots or slip on the grass or strain muscles, every effort should be made to try to address their health. When they smack themselves with the racket in frustration (or jam their wrist breaking a racket on a netpost) should they really receive the benefit of medical ministrations? Is it fair to the opponent to stop play (and momentum)? We don’t stop play for cramping. The rationale—correctly—is that players should not get a reprieve for lapses in fitness. Why not the same policy for lapses in impulse control?

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Hey Jon,

With New York approaching in September, can you please help us? We want more water fountains in the USO grounds, and we certainly don't wanna pay seven bucks for a bottle. It's 90 degrees and about 80% humidity, and on behalf of all who go to the U.S. Open, we'd really appreciate you publishing this request and helping us out.

We aren’t asking for a pony, just a water fountain, dude.

Deepak (NYC)

• “We aren’t asking for a pony, just a water fountain, dude.” You heard the man, USTA. (Though now that Deepak mentions it, the tennis-pony combo doesn’t sound bad either).

Anyway: (1) I’ve written this before, but I am baffled by the Evian sponsorship. If part of the appeal and value of sports sponsorship is positive association, does it really serve my brand’s long-range interest? “Honey, pick up some water, would ya? No, not Poland Spring. Evian. You know, the brand that charged us $7 for a thimbleful of water that infernally hot day at the tennis when we couldn’t find a fountain and we wanted to stave off heat stroke.”

(2) By accident or design, you highlight a larger issue confronting tennis—nay sports; nay humanity—and that is our warming planet. How long before fans are not inclined to attend outdoor events?

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If it were up to you, Jon, when would you schedule matches on Centre Court? Djokovic says they should start earlier. Wimbledon says that the 1:30 start draws more viewers on TV. At Roland Garros, you talked about how late matches hurt fans and staff who can’t even catch a bus ride home. But if an event organizer has a fiduciary responsibility to shareholders, how do you say no to better TV numbers? Is it an either/or proposition? What would you do?

Kevin Kane, Kingston, ON, Canada

• (A) Start earlier. (B) Tennis needs some mechanism to ensure that fans actually occupy prime seats. Squatters rights? Festival seating until Hedge Fund Harry actually arrives? I was told that part of Wimbledon’s reluctance to starting earlier: Fans won’t show, and matches will play out before oceans of empty seats.

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Hi, Jon,

In the latest rankings, American tennis players are doing quite well. Five women are in the top ten in women’s doubles—with Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff in the top four and also in the top seven in singles.

Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram are in the top five in men’s doubles, with Krajicek coming into Wimbledon ranked first. Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe are in the top 10 in men’s singles, leading a contingent of 10 Americans in the top 62. But the broader American public won't notice until American singles players fight for #1. Which Americans have the chance to get to the top?

Thanks, Rob

• Coco and Frances Tiafoe would be my “his” and “hers” choices.

Coco Gauff, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon 2023, still has a chance of making it to the top :: Alastair Grant/AP Photo

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Hi Jon,

Crystal Ball department: Will next year's season be a 1R/2R fond farewell tour for Rafael Nadal, or do you think he will return in a competitive state and maybe make some finals and a dream deep run at the French?

Mark

• I have no sense of Nadal’s physical health. And, I have been told, he’s unsure as well. I can’t imagine him doing “a 1R/2R fond farewell tour” entering events he has no hope of winning. I could see him entering Roland Garros as Serena did the 2022 U.S. Open (and Agassi did his last U.S. Open) and just doing the last-chance power drive thing.

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Hi Jon,

A year ago, Christopher Eubanks, at age 26, had never been ranked inside the top 150 nor had he won a match in the main draw of a major. Now, he could be seeded at this year’s US Open. Isn’t it unusual to have such a breakthrough at age 27? What do you think accounts for his surge up the rankings at a fairly advanced sports age?

P.S. I think that it’s interesting that in interviews he has credited three women for contributing to his recent success—Kim Clijsters for giving him tips about playing on grass, and Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff for building his confidence.

Teddy C., NYC

• Good point on the women. We all love Kim Clijsters but “grass-court whisperer” was never a role I envisioned for her. As for Eubanksian breakthroughs, I think it varies player-to-player. Especially as careers elongate, players are going to college, the fields open, a breakthrough at age 27 isn’t that wild.

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It's kind of cool seeing Jude Law’s brother in the Wimbledon QFs.

Chris Brown

• Roman Safiullin reference?

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Alcaraz is the best player to come on tour since Djoker himself.

James, PDX

• Wild as that sounds, I have to agree. Who is older than Alcaraz and younger than Djokovic that is better? For that matter, who else has won multiple majors?

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Hey Jon,

Hope you’re doing well and enjoying Wimbledon. What will it take for Casper Ruud to take the grass court season seriously? It’s a little bizarre that a top 5 player in 2023 not only dislikes a surface as much as he does grass, but also has no motivation to improve at it. While he can get away with it because the grass season is so short, it still feels like a missed opportunity for such a talented player.

Collin, Leesburg, VA

• Athletes are adept at their respective sports. They are also masterful at telling themselves stories, coming up with mechanisms to minimize failure; defuse and diffuse pressure; accentuate hope. You’re right. Casper Ruud’s dismissal of grass is, at best, weird. He’s a top-five player and he didn’t seem particularly bothered by losing to a player outside the top 100. But one suspects that masks his true disappointment.

TV compound: Unless the circumstances are truly extraordinarily—i.e. Serena has a protected ranking—no physically healthy player in the top five should ever lose to a player outside the top 100, surface be damned.

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Hi Jon,

Appreciated your piece on Naomi Osaka and how the impact of social media has influenced how we talk about people. However, I think it also needs to be mentioned that other women did help pave the way for culture to be ready for Osaka. Chris Evert took an extended break in her career twice (1977 and 1982), she didn’t use the term “mental health,” but described it as “motivation, looking for that love for the game,” and of course continued to be successful after both of those breaks. Goolagong and Court (all the controversial opinions aside) both had babies and came back to win majors. Monica Seles of course was stabbed, but the injury healed much quicker than her mental health, and now we would say she took an extended mental health break. Martina Navratilova openly wept on court due to well-documented personal struggles. Osaka deserves praise where it’s due, but let’s not forget the women who came before her.

- J.O.

• Here’s the piece. I’ve thought about this a lot. There is a high incidence of mental health struggles on the women’s side in particular. A No. 1 player quits in the prime of her career. Osaka has referenced mental health. Muguruza is currently on a mental health break. Anisimova, too. Andreescu has spoken about her challenges. Is there something specific to this generation—fomented, likely, by social media? Or have these struggles always existed, and players simply lacked the vocabulary/support/comfort to identify it correctly? I was discussing this with John McEnroe, and he referenced how much he could have benefited from sports counseling, when he played. I suspect he is hardly alone.

Naomi Osaka has been open about her mental health struggles :: Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports

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I see James Blake and Lleyton Hewitt are playing doubles together. Not that I’ve followed their relationship but it’s nice to see they’re on good terms.

J.B.

• Time heals all wounds. James—full disclosure: a friend—is (a) extraordinarily gracious (b) a conflict avoider.

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Hi Jon. I really enjoyed your articles throughout the fortnight, and it was exciting to see all of the great women’s matches. Question for you … why did you remark that Ons Jabeur was an overwhelming favorite in the lady’s title match? Her record against Vondrousova was an even 3-3 going into the match, and Marketa had beaten her both times they played in 2023. If anything, I’d say Vondrousova was at least even or the slight favorite. She’s a previous grand slam finalist and top player. Thanks.

Scott, Jacksonville, FL

• I’ll eat the L. I don’t recall saying “overwhelming” but, yes, I picked Jabeur. Guilty as charged. Why? Mostly grass. She has won more matches on the surface than any player. Vondrousova was 2–10 for her career coming in. Yes, the head-to-head was 3–3 and Jabeur lost two of those early this year. But she was a bit injured, and the matches were on different surfaces. Jabeur was No. 6; her opponent was No. 42. And Jabeur had just beaten two-thirds of the Big Three. Obviously, I whiffed. Have to believe I had company.

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Vera Zvonareva is trying to take out the No. 2 doubles team on Court 3 as her colleagues are playing legends doubles on Court 1.

• Good pull. I should have mentioned her in the 50 Thoughts. She turns 39 (!) during the U.S. Open. And she’s still at it.

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Dear Friend,

I am Mr. James Mensa work with the department of Audit and accounting manager here in the B.O.A Bank, West Africa Ghana. There is this fund that was keep in my custody years ago,please I need your assistance for the transferring of this fund to your bank account for both of us benefit for life time investment and the amount is (US $4.5 Million Dollars). I have every inquiry details to make the bank believe you and release the fund in within 5 banking working days with your full co-operation with me after success. Note 50% for you why 50% for me after success of the transfer to your bank account.

Mr. James Mensa

• Thanks James! Not sure how your inquiry ended up in this folder. Usually people have questions and observations about tennis. But that sounds like an incredible opportunity. DM me and I’ll have my people talk to yours, posthaste.

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Take us out, Troy Quast:

Hi Jon,

Thanks for posting my request. You probably have reams of more insightful thoughts than mine below, but I thought I’d try to contribute to the future fan guide that you mentioned for next year. Hope it’s useful.

-Troy

Qualifying: As you’ve mentioned many times, it’s a great and inexpensive chance to see players who are only an iota below the top players. It’s a bit of a hike to get to the tourney site, but it’s a very intimate venue. It’s wise to buy tickets ahead of time online.

Getting to the tournament: Take the tube to the Southfields stop and walk 15-ish minutes to the grounds. The walk is a straight shot from the station and is clearly marked. Plus, you’ll get to see some neat shops and get a feel for the surrounding neighborhood.

Tourney tickets: Can only realistically purchase from outside vendors and they can cost thousands of dollars. The other option is to queue for a limited number of tickets. If you’re willing to camp out the night before, you may get one of the 500 tickets available to each show court (Centre, Court 1, Court 2) to those in the queue. Otherwise, you may get a grounds pass that allows for entry to the non-show courts. There are no guarantees, but you can generally get a ticket if you arrive before 9 a.m. The tickets were only 27 GBP in 2023. However, you should be prepared to wait several hours (even 6-plus) before entering the grounds. Further, as of 2023, only those toward the front of the queue were able to enter the grounds by 11 a.m. (the typical start of play). Those later in the queue may not get in until 1 p.m. or later. On the bright side, the queue is a great experience where you can meet people all around the world who share a passion for tennis.

Afternoon entry: A less-known option is to arrive in the late-afternoon. Grounds passes may be available during this time, due to the capacity not being reached that day and/or attendees leaving. Obviously you get less time at the tourney, but the wait can be much less. Another perk of these tickets is that towards the evening you can often avoid the thick crowds and enjoy the grounds in a more relaxed fashion.

Resale tickets: Another great option are the show court resale tickets. Each day beginning at 3 p.m., tickets that have been donated by those leaving the show courts are resold for only 10 pounds each. Center court tickets are typically very difficult to come by and may require standing in line for several hours, and even then there's no guarantee that a ticket will be available. However, it is usually much less difficult to get a ticket to Court 1 or Court 2. These tickets are sold on a random basis, so you may find yourself with a nearly courtside ticket. Even better, all of the proceeds go to charity.

Wimbledon Southern Village: The area just outside of Court 12 is a bit less hectic and has multiple food, drink and shopping options. There’s also a video screen with chairs for those who want a break from the courts.

Betting: There are multiple gambling companies in the UK at which you can place bets on the tourney or individual matches. While moderation is crucial, it can be fun to place a few pounds on players who you think are under-valued.

Non-Wimbledon activities: You can see many sights up close and burn off some of the Pimms you’ll inevitably drink by running the London 10k, which typically takes place on a Sunday morning during the tourney.