18 July 2023 , 11:22
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New Wimbledon men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz has revealed Rafael Nadal played a key role in insipring him to defeat Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final.
Alcaraz won his second Grand Slam title on Centre Court at the weekend, playing out a thrilling five-set match with Djokovic. The Serbian had a long-running rivalry with Nadal during the Spaniard's time at the top level, facing each other 59 times.
And it appears that Nadal stepped in to get another one over his old rival when Alcaraz was preparing to face Djokovic in Sunday's final. It was the first time the 20-year-old had reached the final at Wimbledon, though he did win the US Open last year.
He was facing a sizeable task, with Djokovic having won the previous four tournaments held at Wimbledon in succession. But Alcaraz had a trump card on his side in compatriot Nadal.
The newly crowned winner has revealed that Nadal sent him a private message ahead of the match to wish him look. Asked what Nadal had sent him, Alcaraz replied: "Yes, yes, he sent me a message.
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"First he sent it to wish me luck for the final and I appreciate it. That someone like him, an idol of my childhood and who continues to be so, sends you strength and luck for the most important moment of your life is something to admire."
Using that message as inspiration, Alcaraz went on to defeat Djokovic 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 in the showpiece event. It was a thrilling final, with the fourth game of the third set lasting an astonishing 26 minutes alone.
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Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic to win his first Wimbledon title on Sunday (CameraSport via Getty Images)If Djokovic had won, it would have been the Serbian's 24th Grand Slam title, a record-equalling feat. But it was Alcaraz who was celebrating, with the Spaniard recovering from being dominated in the first set to close the match out with his first match point.
And the 20-year-old, who appears set to become the sport's next great, received another message from Nadal after the match. Alcaraz admitted that the message from the tennis legend was the one that excited him most.
"Rafa's, whenever he congratulates you, Rafa makes you especially excited because in the end he is your idol. I was also congratulated by Fernando Alonso, who is someone I admire," the Wimbledon champion said.
"Will Smith surprised me that he congratulated me. My friend Jimmy Butler... There have been a lot of messages that have made me excited.
"I don't want to leave anyone because there have been many sports legends, artists... I saw that Sebastian Yatra dedicated a song to me and said 'this is for you'. That all these people congratulate you is exciting.
"It is a dream come true for me. Even if I lost, I would have been proud of myself. To be able to play in these stages of these occasions - as a boy of 20 years old - is really fast. I'm really proud of myself."