LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the Wimbledon men’s final on Sunday to win his fourth Grand Slam title at age 21.
It was a rematch of last year’s championship match on the grass of the All England Club, which Alcaraz won in five sets.
This one – played in front of a Centre Court crowd that included Kate, Princess of Wales, in a rare public appearance since his cancer diagnosis – was much easier for Alcaraz, at least until he stumbled while holding three match points while serving for victory at 5-4 in the third set.
Still, Alcaraz pulled himself together and eventually won a second consecutive major trophy after his triumph last month on the clay of Roland Garros.
The Spaniard won his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open as a teenager, and no man has ever won as many Grand Slam titles before turning 22 as he has.
He improved his record to 4-0 in major finals.
The 37-year-old, who wore a gray sleeve over his surgically repaired right knee, was unable to capture his eighth Wimbledon title and 25th major overall. He tore his meniscus at Roland Garros on June 3 and underwent surgery in Paris two days later.
Less than six weeks later, Djokovic wasn’t exactly at his best on Sunday – and Alcaraz certainly had something to do with it.
“Especially in the first two sets, the level of tennis was not really up to my level,” said Djokovic, whose two children were in his dressing room. “He had everything he needed today. I tried to push him … It was not what was supposed to happen.”
It was only when Alcaraz found himself on the brink of victory that things got a little more intriguing, as some spectators chanted Djokovic’s two-syllable nickname — “No-le! No-le!” — while others responded in unison, “Let’s go, Carlos! Let’s go!”
Alcaraz led 5-4, 40-0 in the third set when circumstances got the better of him. He squandered his first championship point with a double fault, beginning a five-error streak that handed points — and this game — to Djokovic. There was a backhand gone wrong. A forehand volley. A forehand. Another forehand. It was the only time in the entire match that Djokovic broke Alcaraz.
Suddenly the score was 5-5. Suddenly Alcaraz seemed shaken. Suddenly Djokovic could finally hope.
But in the ensuing tiebreak, Alcaraz got his fourth match point and remained as calm as he can be this time. He quickly climbed into the stands to embrace his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and others.
Just under two and a half hours earlier, the opening match seemed set to be a thrilling, hard-fought encounter, and a long one, which may have left some spectators worried about their ability to get to a pub or a sofa in time to watch England take on Spain in the final of the Men’s European Football Championship in Germany on Sunday night. Alcaraz, of course, had a vested interest in the game.
In total, the match ended in seven deuces and 20 points in just under 14 minutes, with moments of brilliance from both men. Djokovic sprinted, slid and stretched on defense. Alcaraz hit return winners. When he answered a 202 km/h serve with force and forced a Djokovic forehand wide, Alcaraz took advantage of his fifth break chance.
It turned out to be the most competitive part of the game until the third set.
I’m not saying there weren’t signs of genius along the way. It’s just that the outcome never really seemed in dispute.
Djokovic double-faulted to lead 5-1 with two breaks in the first set. He volleyed into the net to trail by a break early in the second set, then double-faulted to end it.
This was not the contorted, will-to-do-anything Djokovic that everyone is used to seeing. First, there was his age, and his knee problem, which raised serious questions about his ability to compete at Wimbledon.
By his own account, Djokovic was pain-free and moving with his usual vigor by his third or fourth match of the fortnight. On the partly cloudy afternoon, with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit), Djokovic sometimes jumped awkwardly as he landed after serving or walked gingerly — as if barefoot on warm beach sand — between points or watched some of Alcaraz’s big groundstrokes pass by without giving him any news.
Djokovic missed volleys that he usually makes and won only 27 of 53 points when he went forward.
After volleying at the net to cap an 11-shot rally, Djokovic sighed and walked to his side seat to grab a purple and green towel to mop up his sweat. His facial expression read: “Come on, Carlitos, get someone your own age.”
Alcaraz was exceptional in almost every area, from basic strokes to the types of shots that no one else would have attempted, much less hit. He once leapt and wrapped his racket around his back to send the ball over the net, though Djokovic managed to place a smash to win the point. Alcaraz raced to the side of the doubles lane for forehand winners. He won points with drop shots. He hit serves at speeds of up to 136 mph. He racked up 14 break points, converting five, while facing only three, despite facing Djokovic, widely regarded as the greatest returner of the ball ever.
What can’t Alcaraz do?
Two days before the final, Djokovic paid Alcaraz a compliment: “I see a lot of similarities between him and me, in terms of the ability to adapt and adjust to the surface. That’s probably his biggest trait. He has the skills to play equally well on any surface and to adapt to a given opponent that day. So he’s a very versatile player, very complete.”
So true.
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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
