On Sunday afternoon, spectators in London were left gob smacked as they witnessed Carlos Alcaraz dismantle the most decorated men’s tennis player of all time. It only took the 21-year-old Spaniard a little over two hours to put emphasis on the arrival of a new sheriff in men’s tennis.
Starting from the first serve, he refused to give Novak Djokovic a chance to breathe. With precision, poise and power- a masterclass was served. Alcaraz made beating the esteemed Djokovic look like a light workout with the deliverance of a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) scoreline. He won every single set, leaving no room for error in his quest to claim the fourth Grand Slam of his career.
Almost, but not enough…
The 37-year-old former champion, Djokovic, was hoping to be the one to make history on Sunday afternoon. He was chasing his 25th Grand Slam title, which would have cemented him as the only tennis player in the history of the game to do this. A record that he has dreamt of for the entirety of his career.
However, this time he was not on the receiving end of the trophy. He faced a different beast in Alcaraz, who picked him apart with his trademark drop shot and powerful forehand.
Novak just could not keep up with the young Spaniard no matter how hard he tried. A double fault in his fifth game confirmed that it was just not his day. Quality smothered Djokovic from start to finish on Centre Court, which was everything but a ray of sunshine for him.
Despite a resilient fight at the end, the Serb succumbed to the relentlessness of his opponent. It is worth noting that he recently had knee surgery a few weeks ago to repair a torn meniscus he suffered earlier in the season.
Therefore, his fight to make the final is commendable, as this alone seemed impossible at the beginning of the tournament.
Sealing his fate
The final set saw Alcaraz break character and lose composure for the first time all afternoon. He struggled with his serve as he visibly overcomplicated his forehand drive volley. Thereby, Djokovic claimed a few points from him, but it was a little too late for any hopes of a comeback.
Nevertheless, he quickly corrected his mistake and picked up where he left off, putting the match to bed shortly after.
History was written with every drop of sweat the 21-year-old left on the court. He joined elite company as he became the sixth man to win Wimbledon and The French Open (Roland Garros) successively.
Subsequently, this victory sees him on a path to achieving all-time great status. Alcaraz becomes the third man aged 21 and under to win multiple Wimbledon titles, with Bjorn Borg and Borris Becker being the only other two to accomplish this historic feat.
Here’s what fans on x had to say about the Wimbledon final…
@Wimbledon posted, “To win here is special. To defend here is elite. Carlos Alcaraz is the 2024 Gentlemen’s Singles Champion #Wimbledon“
@espn posted, “CARLOS ALCARAZ DEFEATS NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN BACK-TO-BACK YEARS AT WIMBLEDON”
Main image: India Today
