An heir presumptive or the presumptuous heir? Nobody could accuse the indefatigably polite Carlos Alcaraz of being the latter – or even dreaming of the former among a strong field of contenders – but nor would anyone watching the young Spaniard here on Friday argue with any conviction that the prince will not one day be king.
For the foreseeable future, Novak Djokovic starts favourite in every tournament he enters. He unreservedly deserves that rating. Yet, increasingly, it is Alcaraz who pursues him most consistently and with the greatest chance of success. If they meet in the final, it would be the most fitting conclusion to the 136th championships.
