WTA world number one Iga Swiatek was full of praise for fellow ATP world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who defied the odds to win the Wimbledon men's title a couple of weeks ago.
Alcaraz achieved what he called a lifelong dream after defeating Novak Djokovic in five sets to win a maiden Wimbledon. It was the first time that Djokovic had lost a match at Wimbledon after taking the first set since his retirement defeat to Rafael Nadal in 2007.
And Iga Swiatek was impressed by the comeback and the way in which the 20-year-old demonstrated an incredible level of maturity against such a great champion. Swiatek acknowledged that Alcaraz looked stressed in the first set, and tennis fans feared a remake of their French Open match would ensue after dropping the first set 6-1.
But Djokovic spurned a set point in the second-set tiebreak (more to do with Alcaraz upping the intensity and drawing an uncharacteristic error). Alcaraz turned the tiebreak around to level - a key moment in the outcome of the match.
"I was impressed with how Alcaraz pulled himself together after the first set, where he seemed very stressed and it was evident that he couldn't play his tennis, that Novak was dominating the court."
"The way he came back in the final shows a lot of maturity. Despite his young age, he already has a lot of experience and knows how to get out of trouble."
The Polish star remained tightlipped when quizzed whether Alcaraz's stunning win is set to usher in a new era in men's tennis, but reckons it is a big moment. Djokovic, 36, hasn't shown any signs of slowing down or an intention to step away from the sport.
"I don't know if I can answer that question, but without a doubt, it was a breakthrough game. Novak has won most of the Grand Slam finals he has played in."
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