Carlos Alcaraz overcame a first-set hammering to beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling match to claim his first Wimbledon title at the age of 20.
The rollercoaster final at SW19 saw the top seed bounce back to triumph 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, against a player who had won the past four editions of the tournament. Sunday’s showdown featured a staggering 25-minute Djokovic service game in which Alcaraz broke in front of an animated crowd who was cheering the youngster on with chants of ‘Carlos, Carlos.’ In total, the two battled on court for four hours and 42 minutes in what was one of the longest-ever title matches to take place.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I said before it would have been so good to win but even if would have lost I would be really proud of myself,” Alcaraz said afterward.
“Making history in this beautiful tournament, playing a final against a legend of the sport. It’s a dream come true.’
“It is unbelievable to play in these stages. It’s amazing for a boy – 20 years-old – I didn’t expect to reach this situation really fast.
“I am really proud of myself, I am really proud of the team and the work we put in every day to be able to lift this (trophy).”
Djokovic, who was targeting a record-equalling eighth title, got off to a perfect start with the help of some costly errors coming across the court from Alcaraz. Utilizing his extensive defensive skills, he surged to a 5-0 lead with relative ease. It wasn’t until 31 minutes into the match that Alcaraz had something to celebrate after holding for the first time which promoted a huge roar from the crowd. However, the damage was already done by the second seed who closed the opener out on his first set point by hitting a smash.
It was shortly after that Djokovic’s problems started to unfold. The wind was proving to be causing his problems with his serving, Alcaraz was starting to find his footing and the Center Court crowd was much more vocal in their support for the Spaniard. So much so that even Djokovic was toying with them and at one stage encouraged them to cheer louder for him. Quite a surreal scenario when you consider he is the most decorated Grand Slam player in the history of men’s tennis.
The tension was high throughout the second set when Alcaraz broke early on for a 2-0 before getting pegged back. There was little to separate the two heading into what turned out to be a dramatic tiebreak. Djokovic received a time violation whilst down 4-5 but still managed to hold. Two points later a backhand down the line set him up for a two-set lead but he failed to convert. Paving the way for Alcaraz to work his way to a set point which he converted with a blistering passing shot.
Alcaraz’s breakthrough brought to an end opponents’ run of winning 15 straight tiebreaks in Grand Slam matches. Continuing to gain momentum into the third frame, he went on to triumph in what was the most dramatic game of the final and some could argue the entire tournament. A marathon Djokovic service game lasted more than 25 minutes and featured a staggering 13 deuces before the world No.1 broke to secure a commanding 4-1 lead before moving to a set away from glory.
The rollercoaster continued with a relentless Djokovic fighting back in the fourth frame to force a decider. He managed to do so with the help of a double break in his favor with the set ending with an Alcaraz double fault.
Despite the Serbian’s best efforts, it was not enough. Alcaraz’s continued to chase down every ball and wear down his rival. The decisive blow occurred three games into the decider when he broke a livid Djokovic who smashed his racket on the net post out of anger. Continuing to hold his nerve, he worked his way to his first championship point with a 130 mph serve that Djokovic returned out. He then prevailed after a Djokovic shot crashed into the net.
“After the first set I thought ‘Carlos, increase the level. Everyone would be disappointed,’ the new champion commented.
“I have to congratulate Novak, it was amazing to play against him. You inspire me a lot. I started playing tennis watching you. Since I was born you were already winning tournaments. You said 36 is the new 36 and you make that happen. It’s amazing.”
Alcaraz has become just the third Spanish man to win the title and only the second in the Open Era after Rafael Nadal. He is also the third-youngest men’s Wimbledon champion in history after Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg. Since 1969, only four other players on the ATP Tour have managed to win multiple major titles before the age of 21.
Before this season, Alcaraz had never won a Tour-level match on the Grass but this year he has managed to record 12 consecutive wins on the surface which started at Queen’s. His triumph has secured his place as No.1 which would have been taken away from him if Djokovic had won.
“I thought I would have trouble with you only on clay and hard court, but not on grass but now it’s a different story from this year obviously,” said an emotional Djokovic who began to cry during the trophy presentation when he saw his son in the crowd.
“Congrats, an amazing way to adapt to the surface. You played maybe one or twice. Amazing, what you did in Queens and congratulations to everybody in your team.’
“As for me, you never like to lose matches like these but I guess when all the emotions are settled I’ll have to be very grateful. I won many tight and close matches in the past here, to name a few. 2019 against Roger. Maybe I should have lost a few finals that I won so maybe this is even stevens.”
Alcaraz is the first player to have beaten Djokovic on the Wimbledon Center Court since Andy Murray, who was in the crowd watching, back in 2013.
“I’ve fallen in love with grass right now. It’s amazing. I didn’t expect to play at this level in a really short period,” he summed up when asked about his 2023 campaign on the surface.
“I have played just four tournaments on grass, I won Queen’s. It’s a dream come true. I am happy with the work we were doing, coming into the grass season. I learn really fast and I am really proud.”
