Support truly
independent journalism
For a little more than two hours, Carlos Alcaraz took to the Wimbledon final and made facing Novak Djokovic look like a saunter under the sun on Centre Court. It wasn’t until the very end, serving for the title with three Championship points, that the 21-year-old was gripped by nerves. But as he banished thoughts of that forehand drive volley, put agonisingly wide, and took to the tiebreak, Alcaraz underlined what was clear from the very start of this Wimbledon final: this was a merciless destruction of the most successful men’s player of all time, who was once again denied a record-equalling eighth title by the brilliant Spaniard.
If the rematch did not live up to last year’s five-set epic, it was only because Alcaraz’s victory was so crushing, a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) scoreline that would have been even more emphatic had he not blinked when serving for his second successive title. In his 37th grand slam final, Djokovic suffered one of his heaviest ever defeats, second only to Rafael Nadal in the final of the 2020 French Open. Centre Court waited on a flicker from Djokovic but Alcaraz smothered him from start to end. When given a reprieve in the tiebreak, Alcaraz picked apart his 37-year-old opponent and found the serves required to finally get over the line.
If Alcaraz’s first Wimbledon title was an improbable and unexpected triumph, his second signals that he is already on the path to becoming an all-time great. Alcaraz becomes just the third man aged 21 and under to win multiple Wimbledon titles, after Bjorn Borg and Borris Becker. The Spaniard is just the sixth man in the Open era to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same summer, joining Borg, Rod Laver, Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Those are the footsteps that the 21-year-old is following and this victory over Djokovic proved that when Alcaraz is locked in, he is close to unstoppable.
Djokovic had made a stunning recovery from knee surgery to reach a 10th Wimbledon final but the level Alcaraz produced was unlike anything he had faced this fortnight. Alcaraz pulled Djokovic apart, finding his best serving of the tournament and displaying his variety of shots to repeatedly pass his opponent at the net. Djokovic remains one grand slam away from his 25th title and ownership of the all-time singles record. But given his last three attempts have been thwarted by the 22-year-old Jannik Sinner, injury at the French Open, and now the 21-year-old Alcaraz, the great champion may feel further opportunities are quickly running out, his rivals growing stronger by the year.
Alcaraz is the problem Djokovic does not have the solution for. Djokovic tried coming into the net but Alcaraz repeatedly found the angles to make passing winners. When he stayed on the baseline, Alcaraz worked his magnificent drop shot to leave him stranded. While Djokovic could barely get a read on Alcaraz’s serve, as the Spaniard flicked between precision and power, his opponent repeatedly took aim at his, blasting his way through. The best returner in the history of sport failed to take a single break until he was gifted one by Alcaraz, who displayed his mental strength to recover in the tiebreak. But for the first two sets he was obliterated by a champion was is now too fast, too good and so confident of his own abilities.
More follows
