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Carlos Alcaraz admits Roger Federer confession before being accused of 'putting on show'
Carlos Alcaraz was beaten in four sets by Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final as he failed in his quest to win a third successive Grand Slam title
Carlos Alcaraz already admitted he's attempted to replicate parts of Roger Federer's game, as he's been accused of trying to imitate the Swiss maestro. Despite enduring his first Grand Slam final defeat in four sets at the hands of Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon, Alcaraz emerged positive, asserting he walks away with his "head held high".
The defeat might have denied him a place in history books as the first player since Novak Djokovic to win three straight titles at SW19, but it's left him undeterred. Post-match, Ivan Ljubicic, Federer's former coach, delved into the parallels between Alcaraz and his legendary apprentice.
He pointed out how, unlike Federer, who never staged a spectacle for the crowd's sake, Alcaraz seems to thrive on the showmanship, sparking delight in both himself and the fans.
Speaking with Tages-Anzeiger, Ljubicic observed: "Roger was more efficient. The spectacle was a product of his playing. He wasn't consciously looking for a show. With Alcaraz, I sometimes get the feeling that he just wants to have fun for himself, but also for the audience."
Alcaraz shared an inspiring insight into his on-court thought process, particularly during his 2023 triumph over Nicholas Jarry at Wimbledon. Eager to channel his inner Roger Federer, he said: "Yeah, honestly, on the side at 40-All when I returned the forehand, I remembered the first match that Roger Federer won in that court against Sampras, winning with a return passing shot from the forehand.
"I remember every time. I said to myself, I want to play that return every point. Yeah, is something that for me is crazy to remember, live that experience as well."
Amid the remarkable highs of his burgeoning career, Alcaraz has also felt the sting of losses, such as missing a golden opportunity at the Olympics last year against Novak Djokovic in Paris.
Alcaraz reflected on Sunday about his growth in overcoming tougher times since those defeats: "Last year in the Olympics I was really bad emotionally after the match. It was really, really hard for me to accept that moment," he admitted.
"I think in the last year I've been through enough different situations that I learned from them. I just accept everything that is coming to me in the way it comes. Like, OK, I just lost a final in a Grand Slam, but I'm just really proud about being in a final."
Alcaraz's loss to Sinner came just over a month after besting the Italian in the French Open final and he had nothing but positive words to say about his rival on Sunday. "He was pushing me to the limit in every point," the Spaniard added.
"So, mentally, sometimes it's really tough to maintain the good focus or the good level during the whole match when you see the opponent just playing such great tennis. At some points I didn't know what I had to do in the match because from the baseline I was feeling he was better than me, and I couldn't do anything about it."
Sinner failed to take advantage of three championship points at Roland Garros, and Alcaraz admitted he knew the 23-year-old would come back stronger from his devastating defeat.
"Champions learn from the losses," he said. "I knew at the beginning that he was going to learn from that final, not going to make the same mistakes. The way he played today, it was really, really high. I [wasn't] surprised at all. I knew he was going to play like this."
