I’ve never met anyone so hellbent on winning as Novak Djokovic… I’m backing him to beat Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon, writes DAN EVANS

One of my favorite memories as a tennis player was training with Novak Djokovic in Marbella before this season started. You read a lot about his innovative training methods, but what really stood out to me was his work ethic.

On Sunday night I went to the gym for a sauna session before bed. It was 9:30pm and most people were winding down for the weekend. I heard some banging next to us and it was Djokovic and his trainer, doing a late night session on the Reformer Pilates machines.

That moment summed him up. He’s a very polite man – the opposite of his pantomime villain image – but I’ve never met anyone so determined to win. That round-the-clock dedication is one of the reasons why he’s, in my opinion, the best player we’ve ever seen.

Throughout his career, it seems like Djokovic has to do more than anyone else to prove himself. He came on the scene when Roger Federer was the perfect sportsman and Rafa Nadal was the ultimate grinder. They were the poster boys of tennis and there wasn’t much room for anyone else. They had these huge commercial goldmines off the court and Djokovic was left out.

Djokovic never had such a glittering life outside the court, so all his focus was on tennis. He got results in the background and quietly made up for them. Now I think he will beat Carlos Alcaraz and win his 25th Grand Slam title, also surpassing Margaret Court.

Djokovic takes on Carlos Alcaraz (left) on Sunday, 12 months after the Spaniard defeated him

Alcaraz may be the reigning champion, but Djokovic has every chance to dethrone him

Alcaraz won last year’s final, but Djokovic looks better than he did 12 months ago. Years of being at the top must be tiring. It’s a stress that most of us can’t relate to, and there were times last year when Djokovic looked frustrated on court. At one point in last year’s final, he slammed his racket into the net post in frustration as the setbacks took their toll.

He surprised us all by showing up at Wimbledon this year after knee surgery and it seems he has shifted his focus. He looks calmer and happier. He fired a few shots at the crowd on Monday night but he did it all with a twinkle in his eye. There aren’t many players who would have the confidence to say that and get away with it. It made for some entertaining headlines and it actually took some of the attention away from how well he was playing.

Djokovic hasn’t really struggled at any point in this championship. He’s had a smoother run and if he plays aggressively I think he’ll make it. Where Alcaraz kills a lot of his opponents is with his shot variation. Most players can’t live with that variation, but Djokovic can. You play that variation to get a slower ball back, but Djokovic can step on it with his power and his spin.

Last year there were few aces, so I expect some long rallies. Alcaraz will want to dictate them with his forehand, but Djokovic can win if he comes forward to score the points.

Last year’s final between Alcaraz and Djokovic was a five-setter that lasted almost five hours

Djokovic pictured during his semi-final victory over Italian Lorenzo Musetti earlier this week

Reigning champion Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 in his semi-final on Friday

Dan Evans, pictured at Wimbledon this year, hopes Djokovic beats Alcaraz on Sunday

At 37, Djokovic is 16 years older than Alcaraz and if he can pull this off, he will be on another planet in tennis terms. If he wins, there will surely be no one left who can argue that he is not the best tennis player we have ever seen.

The thing about sports is that greatness is often not recognized until it is gone. Right now we are seeing a flood of recognition for Andy Murray. One day everyone will look back and appreciate how great Djokovic really was.