"It's great for the new generation, to see me beating Novak Djokovic, making them think that they are capable of it" - Carlos Alcaraz

On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz became the first player born in the 2000s to beat Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam final, ushering in signs of a changing of the guard.

The 20-year-old staged an incredible comeback to hand the Serb his first loss at the All-England Club since 2018. He prevailed in five sets to lift his second Grand Slam trophy, with the first coming at last year's US Open.

During his post-match press conference, Alcaraz was unsurprisingly asked about the impact his win would have on his contemporaries. Dismissing his role as that of a representative of the era, the Spaniard said the work he had put in was for himself and not his generation.

Alcaraz did add, however, that watching him beat Novak Djokovic at his peak would likely give others the confidence that could do the same on the biggest of stages.

"Well, I did it for myself, not for tennis generation, honestly," Carlos Alcaraz said. "It was great. Beating Novak Djokovic at his best, in this stage, making history, being the guy to beat him after 10 years unbeaten on that court, is amazing for me."

"It's something that I will never forget, that's for sure," he continued. "As I said, it's great for the new generation, as well, I think to see me beating him and making them think that they are capable to do it, as well. It's great for me and I think for the young players, as well."

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"The second set gave me confidence" - Carlos Alcaraz on winning tie-breaker against Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz after his win over Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final.

Carlos Alcaraz found himself in a precarious situation after losing the opening set of the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic rather tamely. The Spaniard, however, put up a much better fight in the second, taking it to a tie-breaker - which he won by the slimmest of margins.

Reflecting on the second set, Alcaraz said it marked a shift in momentum and gave him belief. Taking the set in that fashion filled the youngster with confidence and made him realise that all he needed to do was wait for his opportunities.

"Well, it was tough first set, honestly," Carlos Alcaraz said. "But I felt that was playing great, was playing a good level. I had chances to break his serve or I was close to break his serve. I couldn't take it. It's a problem when you don't take the opportunities against a legend like Novak. You have to struggle."

"But in the second set, I knew that I was going to have my chances," he continued. "I had to be focused. I had to stay there and wait for my chance to be up or to be close on the score. I would say that gave me a lot of confidence."