LONDON – On his perfect day, Carlos Alcaraz said (with the Wimbledon trophy in his arms for the second time) that he doesn’t feel like a champion.
“A champion is someone who has won 14, 20, 24 Grand Slams. I want to sit on the table of the big guys,” he said. While he’s on his way there, he will remember Sunday, July 14, 2024 in a very special way. Not only did he come within ten titles of greatness. He also saw his national football team become European champions, he shared moments with a future queen, and Emma Raducanu went to watch him play (maybe someday that last one will take on more significance).
The crossovers of one of the happiest days in the life of the young star.
– Spain’s magic Sunday
In 2008 Rafael Nadal won his first Wimbledon; a week earlier, Spain won its second Euro. In 2024 Carlos Alcaraz won his fourth Grand Slam in London. Hours later, Spain lifted its fourth continental cup. All connected. What the 21-year-old tennis player said would not be a distraction during the Wimbledon final seems to have been a great motivation: the Spaniard played and won “in a hurry” and arrived safely to watch the match. Having crushed Djokovic and becoming the second youngest male tennis player (after Mats Wilander) with four majors in the Open Era will earn him a recognition that he will surely enjoy a lot: he will be part of the celebration with the football players in the Plaza Cibeles in front of the fans. Monday night in Madrid.
– Never before seen: the dance is delayed
The priority is football. The rest can wait. The traditional Wimbledon champions gala can wait. The bosses at the All England Club knew how much the Spaniard wanted to see the final. That is why (and because the English were also playing) they decided to delay the champions’ dinner to 10 p.m., as had not happened before (in case it went to extra time and penalties, they had planned to follow the outcome at the party on a giant screen). Alcaraz was able to relax a bit on the sofa of the house he rented in Wimbledon and enjoy the match with his team, family and friends.
Already with the “double” for the Spaniards, Alcaraz suit up and attended the ceremony, which includes the dance between the singles champions.
Last year, due to the tight schedule, there was no dance with the Czech Marketa Vondrousova. This time with the music of the movie Barbie (Dance The Night – Dua Lipa), Alcaraz and (another Czech) Barbora Krejcikova moved the skeletons with more enthusiasm than technique on the gala stage.
Carlos Alcaraz 🇪🇸 and Barbora Krejčíková 🇨🇿 at the Wimbledon Champion’s Ball ✨#Wimbledon #Wimbledon2024 pic.twitter.com/CucQ5M9gDu
— First Serve Tennis (@FirstServeTnnis) July 15, 2024
– The return of the princess and the double bow of the champion.
Something unexpected. Kate Middleton reappeared on the public stage after announcing in March that she is undergoing preventive treatment for cancer. She had been part of a military parade a month ago, but her visit to the All England Club marked her real comeback: after the tennis players, she was the star of the day. She appeared on the players’ terrace wearing a lavender dress with her daughter Charlotte and sister Pippa. She shared with players (including Emma Raducanu), ball boys and staff members. She entered the royal box to a standing ovation from the 15,000 people in the stadium, and presented the trophies at the awards ceremony. Carlos Alcaraz, a bit nervous, gave her a double bow.
– Federer, the violinist
Roger Federer should care little about records when he is already dedicated to promoting his documentary, advertising his sportswear brand with Zendaya, or going to Coldplay and Taylor Swift concerts. It is actually his fans who are most concerned about the statistics and who thank Alcaraz again for not allowing Djokovic to overtake the Swiss as the top male champion at Wimbledon. In the social networks appeared the image of Federer playing the violin, as a mockery of the Serbian’s setback. After his victories on Centre Court in 2024, Djokovic several times simulated with his racket playing the instrument, in reference to his daughter Tara’s new hobby. His titles at the All England Club keep Federer as the absolute dominator in men’s tennis.
– Emma Raducanu, the explanation for “supernatural tennis?
Another one of the social media: that the level of the two-time Wimbledon champion was so high thanks to the fact that Emma Raducanu was watching him in the stands. Of course, an explanation for humor, which is true only in the imagination of some fans.
On Twitter they do not forget when the Briton fell for a fake news. Along with a photo of Alcaraz in a TV studio, a user invented that in the interview Alcaraz dedicated words to the US Open 2021 champion after having had surgery on her wrists: “I want to dedicate this day to Emma, who had surgery today…. I hope she recovers soon and that we can play mixed doubles together, something I have always wanted”.
The former top ten player quoted that tweet with the Spanish mention and the word “yours”. She soon deleted the post when she realized it had pure false information.
“Novak and I always put on a show on the court. She is based in London, si I imagine she would want to come to see it, just as if there was a Grand Slam in Murcia I would go to see the final one hundred percent, and even if (Raducanu) did not play. I don’t know if she came to see the final or to see me, who knows. I hope he enjoyed it,” said Alcaraz at the press conference.