Serena Williams’ childhood coach Rick Macci thinks “the Carlos Alcaraz effect got to Novak Djokovic” in the Wimbledon final and not pressure as some think. Djokovic, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, was on a 34-winning streak at The Championships before Alcaraz handed him a 1-6 7-6 (6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 loss in this year’s final.
Djokovic, 36, was playing in his ninth Wimbledon final and was aiming to win his eighth title and tie Roger Federer’s all-time record at The Championships. But 20-year-old Alcaraz – who was playing in his first Wimbledon final – took it to Djokovic and became the first player since 2017 to beat the Serb at The All England Club.
Macci on Djokovic’s Wimbledon final loss to Alcaraz
“He’s definitely human, but no, the pressure did not get to him. The Alcaraz effect got to him. You gotta remember, Carlos made a bunch of great saves during that rally, he got back two or three balls that most guys on the tour will not.
And a couple of them, he got back with quality. See, he counters quality with quality where the rest of the world misses, or they lob it, or whatever. And even Djoker said: ‘I’ve never played anybody like Alcaraz.’ What a compliment.
And he’s played everybody. And that’s a 20-year-old kid we’re talking about. First time Wimbledon finals. So I think there’s a lot of meat on the bone. So no, the pressure didn’t get to him, and he wasn’t thinking about anything other than, you know, when one person plays good and the other plays bad, or when people miss, your opponent usually has something to do with it, and people don’t understand that.
I mean, you gotta give credit to Alcaraz and not take anything away from Djokovic. But that being said, I think the best is still yet to come,” Macci told Tennis-Infinity.
