Carlos Alcaraz's abnormal mental strength impressed a tennis icon

• Tennis News
• Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz's victory at Wimbledon 2023 highlighted how the young Spanish tennis player is ready to take on the heavy legacy that the Big 3 will leave. Carlitos was able to beat Novak Djokovic, absolute ruler of the Championship grass-courts, in a battle lasting five sets, demonstrating once again the incredible level of Carlitos on all surfaces.

Even the former doubles world number 1 and tennis icon Pam Shriver was impressed by the level of play expressed by Carlos Alcaraz, as well as the abnormal mental strength for a 20-year-old boy. Speaking on the latest episode of The Craig Shapiro Tennis Podcast, Shriver praised Alcaraz for not giving in to Djokovic's experience on these courts.

The 61-year-old American, a 21-time Grand Slam doubles champion, said facing Djokovic in the grass-court Major is the toughest job in tennis, on a par with facing Rafael Nadal at the Roland Garros.

Pam Shriver is impressed by Carlos Alcaraz's abnormal mental strength

Pam told: "I think Novak was taking up such a huge space in other opponents' heads and he was playing beautifully, like the mind game during the press conference and the little quotes he said like: It hasn't happened yet." The former world number three then added: "It showed Alcaraz's mental strength, to beat Djokovic in a Major final.

Besides facing Rafa at the Roland Garros, what has become the most difficult task for me in the last couple of years is facing Novak at Wimbledon. And you can say Melbourne too, but I say Wimbledon has become more difficult." By beating Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz ended the Serbian tennis player's hegemony on center court at the All England Club, which had lasted since the final he lost to Murray in 2013.

The Spaniard also became the fifth player in the Open Era to win more than one Grand Slam before turning 21. Carlitos now will have the task to defent the 2000points at the US Open 2023.