Can Carlos Alcaraz overtake Novak Djokovic to become the World No. 2 after Wimbledon?

The battle for Wimbledon 2024 title is heating up, with the last few rounds currently underway. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner's elimination in the quarterfinals has opened up the tournament even more.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are the two frontrunners now to capture the crown at the grasscourt Major. Alcaraz, who is the defending champion, will lock horns with Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal. Djokovic, who was last year's runner-up, is slated to play against Alex de Minaur of Australia in the quarterfinals.

Currently, Djokovic is second in the ATP rankings, followed by Alcaraz in third place. However, this scenario could possibly be reversed during Wimbledon.

Alcaraz is defending 2000 points at this year's tournament. Even if the Spaniard wins, his points tally will remain at 8130, as was the case before Wimbledon. For Alcaraz to surpass Djokovic in the rankings, the Serb has to lose before the final.

A quarterfinal loss will see an 800-point drop for Djokovic, which in turn will see him slip to third in the rankings.

Even if Djokovic loses in the semifinal, he will lose 500 points, bringing his tally to 7860. That too will be enough for Alcaraz to become the World No. 2, provided the Spaniard wins the title.

However, neither Djokovic nor Alcaraz will be able to catch Sinner in the rankings, even though the Italian has bowed out of the competition.

Even if Djokovic wins the title, his points total will be 9160, which would be lower than Sinner's current tally of 9570 points.

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Djokovic vs Alcaraz has been one of the great modern tennis rivalries

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The rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alacarz has greatly intrigued the tennis world. It is considered to be a battle between the old guard and the new generation in men's tennis. Djokovic leads the head-to-head 3-2, having won their last encounter in the semifinals of last year's ATP Finals.

The pair met at the Grand Slam stage twice last year. Djokovic won their encounter at the Roland Garros semifinal, in four enthralling sets. However, Alcaraz dethroned the Serb as the Wimbledon champion after an epic five-set battle at the Championships final.

Djokovic is playing this year's Wimbledon after recovering from a knee injury, for which he underwent surgery last month. Should he and Alcaraz meet, the prospect of a five-set thriller is high, although Alcaraz might be a slight favorite to defend his title given the Serb's fitness issues.