LONDON: Three-time champion Boris Becker has hailed Carlos Alcaraz as the "new king" of tennis after the Spaniard's epic five-set triumph over Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final, reported German news agency dpa.
Top-ranked Alcaraz outlasted long-time number one Djokovic in 4 hours 42 minutes on Sunday, getting his second title at the majors and denying his 36-year-old opponent a fifth straight and eighth overall title at the grass court major as well as a 24th overall.
At 20, Alcaraz became the youngest Wimbledon winner since Becker won his first title as a 17-year-old in 1985.
"One thing is clear. We have a new king - and his name is Carlos Alcaraz," former Djokovic coach Becker told Wednesday's edition of the Sport Bild weekly.
Alcaraz won his first major at last year's US Open, and the impressed Becker said that "now in his second year he has confirmed the performance with victory against his biggest rival.
"Novak Djokovic himself said after the final that Alcaras is a mixture of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and himself - which is the biggest compliment ever," Becker said. -- Bernama-dpa