Sunday's Wimbledon men's singles final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz was hugely significant for two reasons.
Firstly, what the moment meant when a 20-year-old Alcaraz played the greatest game of his still very nascent career to beat arguably the Greatest of All Time in men's tennis on the grandest of stages.
It is an epochal moment of power shift. Power shift that one has not seen in men's tennis for a while since Djokovic was not beaten in 34 matches at the Centre Court on a trot coming into the Wimbledon final against Alcaraz.
And this power shift is unlike anything world tennis has seen.
The people who saw Boris Becker in Alcaraz don't realise that the former was a 17-year-old rookie coming into his own while winning the 1985 Wimbledon Championships.
Reminiscing about other changing of guard games in history, tennis aficionados would jog their memory back to the epic 2001 Wimbledon fourth round match between Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.
Federer had defeated Sampras but anyone who remembers that game would know the latter was well past his prime while playing that match. The Swiss had it fairly easy in that game.
Alcaraz Outclasses Djokovic at his prime
Compare that to yesterday's marathon battle and it is World No 1 and defending US Open champion Alcaraz locking horns with the best player ever and someone who is at the peak of his prowess at the moment. This is Djokovic at his prime and in red hot form and this makes Alcaraz's feat even more accomplished and storied.
And for those who feel this is like the end of an era with the defeat of Djokovic, that assessment is way off the mark.
Djokovic vs Alcaraz rivalry
This, in all probability, marks the beginning of a rivalry that will mesmerise tennis lovers in the next few years and is one for the ages.
There are some glorious tussles that are waiting to happen at several Grand Slams and not just the Wimbledon with Alcaraz and Djokovic having a go at each other.
For years, the 'Big Three' comprising Federer, Nadal and Djokovic teased and taunted emerging young players to challenge and push them to the limits. Although that would happen occasionally at the odd ATP event, the Grand Slams were completely off limits for the others.
After the retirement of Federer and Nadal on the verge of it with injury concerns and so on, there was a perception that Djokovic would have it too easy. Seems like that assumption has gone for a toss because the real deal is up and running and he's come to town.
This is a moment of a great power shift but it is also the beginning of an all-new rivalry in men's tennis that fans have been craving for since the glory days of Federer and Nadal.
Alcaraz - The player, temperament & style
Looking at Alcaraz, all of 20 and World No 1, there is all the trappings of his age but there is composure and maturity never seen before.
Temperament is a big deal as far as professional tennis at this level is concerned and when it's a Wimbledon final, it's all the more pertinent.
To come back after losing the first set 1-6 in the manner he lost and then win the next two in contrasting styles and then bring his A game in the deciding fifth set speaks volumes about what mettle Alcaraz is made of.
This is a player who's mentally strong on another level and he's a warrior in the mind as much as he is one on the court.
And talking about how he is on the court, that's something else.
Alcaraz's power and finesses
He's got powerful serves that hovered on the 118-119 mark up until the quarterfinals and come the big final against Djokovic, the Spanish star took it some notches higher to 121.3 mph.
This was done to accentuate his game that relies heavily on his core strength of service returns. His return of serve is probably the best in the business and he collects plenty of points with this skill.
With his ability to cover the expanse of the court with alacrity and use long rallies and drop shots effectively to fox the opponent, Alcaraz has a supremely well-rounded game.
The strong forehand cross-court winners that he has come up with in several games including the final serve further proof of what he is all about.
'Elements of Rafa, Roger & Novak'
This is a player going by early indications the best of the so-called 'Big Three'. He has the grace and class of a Federer although it's too early to draw comparisons to the Swiss King.
And as far as the power game is concerned, he's right on the ball with what Nadal could do in his prime stretching opponents with his all-court all-round game and great court sense.
Djokovic, the Greatest, paid him a compliment after the final stating he didn't expect much trouble from him on grasscourt but was amazed by what he had to put up with.
It's a tribute to what Alcaraz is turning out to be and it augurs well for world tennis in the long run. The birth of a young superstar who is here to stay and conquer all silverware in the years to come.
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