Carlos Alcaraz calls Novak Djokovic's recovery 'superhuman', not shocked by quick return from torn meniscus

Carlos Alcaraz will begin his Wimbledon campaign tomorrow when he faces Mark Lajal around 1:30 p.m. local time in London. As tradition dictates, he will begin the defense of his title by inaugurating Center Court. But what about its rivals?

Alcaraz spoke at his media day and admitted he wasn’t shocked by Novak Djokovic’s “superhuman” recovery from his torn meniscus. The 24-time Grand Slam champion left the field just a few weeks ago after beating Francisco Cerundolo and undergoing surgery. He was expected to be hit and gone even for the Olympics, but instead he made it to Wimbledon early and appears to be primed for a title tilt.

“I’ll always put it on the favorites list,” he said. “I was surprised on the one hand that he was there, but on the other hand not, because we all know how he takes care of himself, his diet, his rest.

“I told him the other day that what he was doing was superhuman. In two and a half weeks, he is already playing sets at a very high level. He has already shown that he recovers very quickly.

As for his own Wimbledon bid, he will be aiming to become one of the few to win Wimbledon back-to-back and also one of only six men to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. But Alcaraz sees a different picture with a host of tournaments awaiting him after the SW19 defence.

“Winning Grand Slams is difficult,” warned Alcaraz. “Obviously going from clay to grass is totally different surfaces, a totally different game.

“Let’s say I’m going to try. Obviously, I want to put my name on that short list to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.

“I know it will be a very difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I am ready to take it on. I’ve done a great job over the last few weeks to prepare and feel comfortable playing Wimbledon here 100%. »

“It’s not easy to change surfaces in just one week. I’m 100% sure that I’m going to play in the Olympics. For me, it’s an incredible event and an incredible tournament.

“This will be my first time competing, so I really wanted to have that experience to compete in the Olympics. I’m going to go out there and give 100 percent for my country. Then, of course, the window of time we have is very short once the Olympics are over, until Toronto and Montreal.