Alcaraz proves he's the real deal after Paris pain

LONDON: The last time Carlos Alcaraz faced Novak Djokovic he was left so frightened that the Spaniard turned into a nervous wreck and ended up suffering debilitating cramps that cruelly crushed his French Open dreams in front of a global audience.

What a difference five weeks can make.

Up against the same opponent, who had not lost at Wimbledon since 2016, Alcaraz was staring into an abyss as Djokovic roared to a 5-0 opening set lead in Sunday's All England Club finale.

But unlike the Roland Garros semi-finals, Alcaraz had come into the Wimbledon showpiece armed with a new-found mental belief that he belongs among the elite.

That confidence carried him through a five-set, near five hour, roller-coaster on Sunday as he finally ended Djokovic's reign to usher in a new era at Wimbledon - a win that was being trumpeted as the changing of the guard in men's tennis.

"I did it for myself, not for tennis generation, honestly. It was great," the 20-year-old said after subjecting 23-time major champion Djokovic to his first Centre Court defeat in a decade with a 1-6 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory.

"Beating Novak at his best, in this stage, making history, being the guy to beat him after 10 years unbeaten on that court, is amazing for me. It's something that I will never forget, that's for sure.

"It's great for the new generation, as well, I think to see me beating him and making them think that they are capable to do it as well. It's great for me and I think for the young players, as well."

For more than a decade, a number of talented "Next Gen" players had been hyped up to break the Djokovic-Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer hold on top of men's tennis.

All that talk amounted to little as the Big Three maintained their vice-like grip on the slams,