Spencer
Segura commented that
Carlos Alcaraz still has a lot of room for improvement
and that
Novak Djokovic will not continue to improve.
The former
tennis player discussed the current state of the ATP tour on the Advantage
Connors podcast, hosted by former world No. 1
Jimmy Connors, who was his
doubles partner in the seventies.
Segura
analyzed the Wimbledon final between Alcaraz and Djokovic, where the young
Spanish player secured victory with a score of 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
"One
thing I saw is there is a big age difference, okay. He has got shots nobody
has. Inside the court, he can angle. Outside the court, he can float the ball.
He has every shot. I think his backhand is the best shot of the two,” Segura
said.
"They
were having long exchanges and Djokovic pulled him out wide to his backhand and
the guy from behind the baseline, I think there’s a lot of youth. With his
talent and his youth, he was able just to drive the ball from way back," he
added.
Segura
pointed out the age difference between Djokovic and Alcaraz.
"Now
he (Djokovic) is 36 years old, you don’t have those springs in your legs that
this guy (Alcaraz) has. You just don’t have them and this guy is so advanced in
his talent that you know when ends up winning that match, which was a very
close match.
"I
think from now on though, Alcaraz is only going to improve, I don’t think
Djokovic is improving from here, you don’t see that," said Segura.
In
addition, in the conversation, Jimmy Connors shared his thoughts on the future
he expects for Alcaraz in the coming years and the imminent end of 'Nole's'
career.
"We
talk about this all the time, you know, he (Carlos Alcaraz) is the next
generation. He’s the one who’s going to take the game to the next level because
you know Federer is gone, Nadal injured… hopefully he’ll come back, he wants to
play one more year. I hope that happens, and Djokovic is 35-36.
"People
don’t understand what athletes get to that point of 35, 36… what they put their
body through and also their mind just to play five-hour matches and to play
under that kind of pressure. It takes its toll," said Connors.