They all came: Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Andre Agassi, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales and 15,000 or so other fans willing to pay the entry price that started at $10,000. They came for a battle. They ended up with a clinic. In the 2024 Wimbledon men’s final—a rematch of last year—Carlos Alcaraz defended his title with a 6–2, 6–2, 7–6 defeat of Novak Djokovic. Though calling it simply a victory and a title defense sells it short.
The French Open winner six Sundays ago in Paris, Alcaraz pulled the Channel double in the most extraordinary fashion. In six rounds, he was at times spectacular, deploying his pyrotechnics, but also subject to lapses, losing sets in four of those first six matches. Today, against statistically the greatest player the sport has known, Alcaraz played at a level approaching flawless.
This was simply tennis at its most elevated. He served well, he broke Djokovic five times, he won 16 points at the net, he dictated play, he unfurled his drop shot and he looked like a 21-year-old at the peak of his powers against a 37-year-old fresh removed from knee surgery.
Before the full coronation of Alcaraz, let us devote a paragraph to Djokovic, who at 37, was playing in his 37th major final. That he won six rounds and was three sets away from his 25th major, so close to age 40 and so close to knee surgery, says as much about his persistence as any of his sundry other records. But today he was simply no match for the man on the other side of the net.
Carlos' crowning moment 🤩#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/kgCMaokh4C
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2024
Finding one highlight from this 147-minute masterclass is too difficult. Virtually every blade of grass bore the brunt of Alcaraz’s force, from drop shots to line-licking blasts from the baseline. But his most impressive burst may have been of the mental variety. Serving for the title at 5–4 in the third set, he held three match points on his serve. He failed to convert them, Djokovic won the game, the crowd was suddenly enlivened and an opportunity was squandered. Plenty of other players would’ve retreated, let the moment get to them and the drama of the missed opportunity would’ve overwhelmed them. Reminding us that he has the mental fortitude to match his physical strengths, Alcaraz simply reset and won the match 20 minutes later than he had expected, closing it out in a tiebreak. Statistically, at 21 years old, Alcaraz has just moved beyond Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka, winning his fourth major. But there is an inescapable sense that he is just warming up.
Today’s performance was such a blending of his gifts on the biggest stage against the biggest opponent, at some point, Alcaraz is reaching the realization that he can be at 80% and still win matches. He moves onto the Olympics now, trying to add a gold medal to this streak he is on. Regardless, this will go down as one of the great command performances in a big match that the sport has seen. And, as a bonus for him, Alcaraz took care of business quickly enough that he can now go watch his beloved Spanish national soccer team try to win the European Championship.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carlos Alcaraz Nears Perfection in Wimbledon Title Defense.
