Renowned coach picks player most likely to stop Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon
Respected coach and analyst Paul Annacone has assessed which player is most likely to dethrone Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon next month.
The former world No 12 identified Carlos Alcaraz as Djokovic’s biggest threat because the Spaniard “can hurt you so many different ways.”
Djokovic has won six of the last eight editions of Wimbledon held stretching back to 2014, including the previous four. The Serbian has won seven titles overall at the All England Club and is looking to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record of eight.
The 36-year-old is also looking to continue his bid to complete a Calendar Grand Slam this season, having already won the Australian Open and the French Open.
Speaking on Tennis Channel, Annacone – a former coach of Federer and Pete Sampras – analysed whether anyone can stop Djokovic at Wimbledon.
“Well the question is, can anyone knock off Novak, right? That’s the question. A lot’s going to depend on the draw and style matchups,” said the American.
“I still think the best player just to take Novak out is a guy named ‘Carlitos’ Alcaraz. Just because he can hurt you so many different ways. I think on a grass court, there’s a lot of people that can create the opportunity.
“But to do it three out of five sets in a major is such a difficult question. I think Alcaraz has the best shot at just taking Novak out for me.
“If it’s going to be a new face at the end of the tournament, at that tournament, more than any tournament on the planet, it’s gonna be about who manages the situation. It’s not gonna just be about forehands and backhands.
“It’s about walking under the archway, Centre Court at Wimbledon, and understanding what you have to do [in the] semis and finals. That is a different time to play tennis.”
Former world No 154 Prakash Amritraj singled out a different player as the leading contender to challenge the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
“I’m going with our big guy who’s got a bunch of new confidence getting into the top 10 – Frances Tiafoe. I think he’s maybe the best player at having that sort of intangible, improv skillset – which is so needed on grass,” Amritraj said.
“He stays low to the court, he doesn’t mind having that continental grip on the forehand side, where you’re able to just feel balls on this side, maybe come up with a chip here. So many balls come up on grass that you can’t practise for, so you just have to be ready.
“He shovels that backhand well, uses the pace well and I think he really believes that he can win Wimbledon. Now he’s in the top 10, ton of confidence, won a title [in Stuttgart].”
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