Seven-time Grand Slam champion Mats Wilander has opened up about the Wimbledon men’s single’s final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.
Wilander believes that Alcaraz will not be given an inch by Djokovic during the final.
Djokovic is on a 34-match winning run at Wimbledon as the Serbian looks to win a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
World number one Alcaraz won last year's U.S. Open by beating Casper Ruud but the challenge of Djokovic is "another universe", according to Wilander.
"If he can put the puzzle together against Novak who gives you nothing, then we're talking about somebody who's going to transcend our game," Wilander told Reuters at Wimbledon on Saturday.
"It's really important that Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam final before Djokovic's career is over. It's really important for our sport that the person that's the champion gets kicked off the throne, just like Lleyton Hewitt did with Pete Sampras.
"It would be an injection of energy for our sport if Carlos can do that at some point, if not tomorrow then at the U.S. Open. One of the young guys needs to beat Novak before he's done."
Wilander also said that Alcaraz’s all-court game makes him a “complete package”.
"He has the shot selection of [Roger] Federer. He's got Rafa [Nadal's] passion. He's got Djokovic's movement. And then he has one more thing which none of them had or have, which is the smile.
"The ease that he does everything with and it looks so comfortable."
Alcaraz overpowered Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev to lock the final with Djokovic.
The Spaniard also clashed with Djokovic in the French Open tennis semi-final last month but after winning the opening set he suffered cramp and lost in four sets.
"Of course Djokovic can lose but I don't think he cares less about that any more," Wilander said.
"He's going to come in and play at about 90% the whole time, dipping to maybe 85% and sometimes up to 95%. But he's going to be there the whole time. Carlos is going to be roller-coasting through the match because you can't stay with Novak for five sets. You have to go in and out. Novak will have no dip.
"The thing with Carlos is can he do what all of us did when we were really young, which is suddenly, because of the adrenaline... play a match you didn't even realise you could play, like Boris Becker here in 1985.
"It's possible that Carlos Alcaraz plays 25% better tomorrow because that's happened before to young guys, and girls."