World number three Carlos Alcaraz stormes past Novak Djokovic in three sets to become a two-time Wimbledon champion and a four-time Grand Slam winner at age 21 on Sunday at the legendary grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London.
Third seed Carlos Alcaraz completes his title defense at the Championships, delivering a dominant performance against former world number one Novak Djokovic, producing a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) win in two hours and 27 minutes, achieving the French Open-Wimbledon double on a sunny Sunday afternoon in London.
Carlos Alcaraz gives the thousands of fans at #Wimbledon a glimpse of the Gentlemen's Singles Trophy pic.twitter.com/QLpYXrlSnC
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2024
During the trophy ceremony, the 21-year-old commented: “It is a huge honor for me to be part of those players who have achieved Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. They are huge champions.
“I don’t consider myself a champion yet, not like them, but I will keep going to build my path. It is a huge honor for me.”
The four-time major winner joins an elite group of players, featuring Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic, to have claimed the feat of winning Roland Garros and the Championships in the Open Era.
Predicting the outcome of the 2024 Wimbledon championship match became an impossible task.
On one side, the Serbian, a seven-time champion at the grass-court Grand Slam, whose appearance at the tournament was deemed unlikely after sustaining a meniscus tear while competing at the French Open, undergoing surgery on his right knee.
Less than a month later, having put up the work, he decided to chase a record-equalling eighth crown at the major against the odds, regaining form within each match and advancing to his 37th Slam final.
Then, the title defender, who throughout the event did not showcase his best level of tennis, even erratic at times, but a player always capable of rising to the occasion when it matters the most.
But the encounter that once seemed could go either way eventually turned into a straightforward one-way road with Alcaraz in the driver’s seat.
A lengthy opening game (14 minutes) saw the player mentored by Juan Carlos Ferrero break the Serbian serve in his fifth attempt and then held, earning a 2-0 lead.
It was just a glimpse of what was yet to unfold; the Murcia-born and his team clinically prepared for the championship match, adjusting his serve while using his powerful forehand to keep his opponent at bay.
In the fifth game, Djokovic double-faulted, handing the break to the Spanish player, who extended his advantage to 4-1 on Center Court.
From that moment on, he raced to take the first set 6-2 in just 41 minutes, winning 86 percent of the points on his first serve.
With the wind in his sails, he repeated the formula to perfection, setting off the second set with a break of serve and never looked back.
His superb all-court coverage showed a player confident in his chances, comfortable in his shoes to go after each ball with everything he had, and that consists of an exquisite vast repertoire, from athleticism to his net game - he won 80 percent of his approaches and sharp return game.
The Spaniard wrapped up the second set 6-2, unbroken, en route to complete a masterpiece. However, on the other side of the net, the 24-time Slam champion kicked up a level, posing a late challenge.
Alcaraz was serving for the match in the third set 5-4 40-0 but failed to convert all three championship points he had against the world No. 2, and as a result, his rival converted his first break point through the contest.
“It was 40/0, but I was seeing [the trophy] so far away,” Alcaraz recalls. “Djokovic is an unbelievable fighter, and I knew he was going to have his chances again, so I had to stay there. I tried to win the point with the serve, but I couldn’t.
“It was difficult for me. I tried to stay calm, I tried to stay positive in that situation, going into the tiebreak, and I tried to play my best tennis. That’s all I was thinking about. I am glad that in the end, I could find the solution.”
The 37-year-old pushed the potential decider into a tiebreak, which the world No. 3 took on his fourth match point with brilliance.
“He had it all today. He was an absolutely deserved winner today,” remarked Djokovic, a 98-time ATP titlist.
Wimbledon’s back-to-back winner fired 42 winners against 24 unforced errors, winning 42 points on his adversary’s serve, while the No. 2 seed hit 26 winners to 25 unforced errors and 28 receiving points.
Moreover, he won 84 percent of the points on his first serve and 51 on his second delivery, converting five out of 14 break-point chances and winning 16 of 22 net approaches.
Throughout his career, Alcaraz has won all four Slam finals he has achieved.
