WIMBLEDON — Carlos Alcaraz has been asked about Novak Djokovic in every single press conference so far at Wimbledon. Six times in four pressers, to be precise, including the very opening question on the eve of the tournament.
“What is the single hardest thing you find about playing against Novak Djokovic?” the top seed of Wimbledon was asked, and he has been forced to get creative ever since.
So what we do know is that Alcaraz would find it both “amazing” and a “dream” to play Djokovic on Sunday in the men’s final. We also know he admires the pressure Djokovic puts his opponents under, and that it is difficult to find weaknesses in the Serbian’s game.
But, quite rightly, Alcaraz has acknowledged there is still a long way to go. There are three rounds of tennis to navigate before a possible rematch with Djokovic on 16 July, after all, and if Saturday was anything to go by then Monday’s opponent will certainly trouble the Spaniard.
The 20-year-old came through a difficult test in the third round to beat Nicolas Jarry in four sets, a match that lasted almost four hours, with Alcaraz hitting seven double faults, converting just five of 14 break-point opportunities, and sending down 41 winners to 30 unforced errors.
And though there were flashes of the player that has risen to the top, it was not wholly convincing, and Monday’s fourth-round opponent Matteo Berrettini certainly has the tools to trouble Alcaraz on Centre Court.
Berrettini has been here before, losing the 2021 final to Djokovic in four sets, and the Italian is on the charge in what has been a remarkable and somewhat unexpected comeback campaign at SW19.
Alcaraz vs Berrettini
- Date: Monday 10 July
- Time: 5pm, estimate
- Venue: Centre Court, third match after two women’s singles
- TV: Wimbledon is being shown across BBC One and BBC Two. Highlights are on BBC Two from 8.30pm every evening.
- Live stream: BBC iPlayer, the red button, the BBC Sport website and app
- i predicts: Alcaraz in five, with a couple of tie-breaks at least
The 27-year-od has beaten seeds Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev to reach the fourth round, with the one-time world No 6 rediscovering the form that had made him a force before injuries struck.
Berrettini even recently pulled out of Queen’s due to an abdominal problem, and was without a win since April heading to Wimbledon, a tournament he pulled out of last year due to Covid-19, while he also withdrew from the French Open in May with a hand injury.
He has since been incredibly open about his bleak year in interviews this fortnight, admitting he has spent “many days in my bed crying” over his continued struggles, and explaining the graft he has put in just to find the energy to train and ensure he is match-ready.
He certainly looks it now. With 15 aces, a serve topping 135mph, and 46 per cent unreturned serves overall, plus just the one break point offered and saved against Zverev in the previous round, Berrettini is more than just an obstacle in the way of this Alcaraz-Djokovic final.
Zverev certainly thinks so, too. “I told him that he can win the tournament if he plays like this,” the German said, adding: “Alcaraz is a great player as well, but if he plays like this, to be honest, he has chances against anybody.”
Berrettini played down his own prospects of winning the tournament and couldn’t help but smile when noting his “tough” draw, with Holger Rune (No 6 seed) or Grigor Dimitrov (21) lying in wait in the quarter-finals – then possibly Stefanos Tsitsipas (5) or Daniil Medvedev (3) in the semis.
Alcaraz vs Berrettini H2H
- 2022 Rio de Janeiro QF (clay) – Alcaraz won 6-2, 2-6, 6-2
- 2022 Australian Open R32 (hard) – Berrettini won 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 7-6
- 2021 Vienna QF (hard) – Alcaraz won 6-1, 6-7, 7-6
But first, a match-up with Alcaraz, a thrilling head-to-head given their previous three matches have all gone the distance. Berrettini won their only grand-slam meeting to date, a five-setter at the Australian Open last year, while Alcaraz won over three sets in Vienna (2021) and Rio (2022).
“In a way it’s what you want, right?” said Berrettini. “You want to play against the best players in the world. Playing against Carlos, it’s always been a pleasure, a great fight.
“We always give our best. He’s No 1 right now, so he’s the best player in the world. It’s going to be a great challenge. But I’m so glad that I have this opportunity right now.
“I remember watching him play Roland Garros from my TV. Now it’s going to be me against him. I’m really happy for that.”
