The greatest of all champions in tennis define themselves in the largest sense by the way they perform in major finals. That is when they need to rise to the occasion and make their games soar to another level. That is the time when they must reach back with all of their resources and bring out the best that they have to offer. That is their moment to shine.
And so it was at Wimbledon for the dynamic Carlos Alcaraz. Not only did he defend the title he won a year ago for the first time over Novak Djokovic, but he produced a virtuoso display that substantially surpassed anything he had done over the course of the entire fortnight at the shrine of the sport. In his previous four matches, Alcaraz had conceded at least one set, but, in lifting his record against the Serbian to 3-3 lifetime, the Spaniard played his finest tennis of the tournament and gave one of the most inspired performances of his young career.
Alcaraz defeated the mighty Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) to hold on commendably to his crown at the All England Club. That was no mean feat. Overcoming the same opponent in the final round of the world’s premier tournament has been done before. Bjorn Borg accounted for Jimmy Connors in the 1977 and 1978 finals back to back. Roger Federer stopped Andy Roddick in 2004 and 2005 title round appointments. Djokovic beat Federer in the 2014 and 2015 finals.
But it has played out differently in other cases, most notably when John McEnroe toppled Borg in the 1981 final after losing an epic to the Swede the previous year. Meanwhile, Stefan Edberg took down Boris Becker in the 1988 final but lost to the German the next year at the last hurdle before triumphing again when they collided in a third straight final in 1990.
So how should we regard this win for Alcaraz? A year ago, I felt the Spaniard was fortunate to fend off Djokovic because the Serbian won the first set and had a set point in the second that he wasted with an errant backhand. Furthermore, he had a break point for 2-0 in the fifth set but let that get away as well with a netted swing volley. Alcaraz prevailed 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
But their centre Court rematch this year was very different. He had lost twice to Djokovic last year after winning on the London lawns, but they had not met since their round robin clash at the ATP Finals in Turin. To win so decisively was no mean feat. Seldom has Djokovic sounded so sanguine as he did in his post match press conference. He felt correctly that he had been outplayed across the board, in every facet of the game, on all levels. He believed that Alcaraz had been half a step quicker than he was on this occasion. Will this victory for Alcaraz have lasting repercussions for the Spaniard in his head to head series with Djokovic? Only time will tell because Djokovic was perhaps not ready to face such a formidable rival so soon after knee surgery, but it surely will fuel the Spaniard with more self conviction going forward.
The opening game of this Wimbledon final set the tone for the rest of the match. It lasted 14 minutes and featured seven deuces. Djokovic had three game points on his delivery but made a pair of backhand crosscourt mistakes that were costly and missed on a lob that landed long. Alcaraz, meanwhile, unleashed some spectacular winners. He got the break when Djokovic missed a forehand down the line with an opening. The Spaniard swiftly held at 15 for 2-0, releasing a scorching 136 MPH service winner on the penultimate point of the game.
Djokovic then held from 15-30 and closed out the third game with an ace down the T, but Alcaraz was roaring now, serving two aces in a love game for 3-1, breaking a subdued Djokovic again for 4-1 on a double fault. Although Alcaraz faced his only break point of the set in the sixth game, he erased it easily and held on for 5-1 with an ace down the T. Djokovic did not lose a point in the seventh game, but Alcaraz served out the set commandingly with a hold at 30. It had taken only 41 minutes for him to prevail 6-2.
An ominous sign for Djokovic followers was the way he started the second set. Serving from the Royal Box end of the court where he had commenced the opening set, Djokovic was able to win only one point on his delivery as Alcaraz kept him at bay through that entire game with the weight of his ground game. At 15-40, Djokovic ventured forward but netted a forehand drop volley off a low passing shot from the Spaniard. The Serbian rallied from 40-15 down back to deuce in the second game but Alcaraz advanced to 2-0 with one of his many excellent body serves, followed by an errant Djokovic backhand which the Spaniard induced with a deliberately short, low ball.
Both players settled into a holding pattern across the next four games. First, Djokovic held at 30 with an elegant and unanswerable backhand drop shot down the line. Next Alcaraz landed five consecutive first serves on his way to 3-1 and then Djokovic went four for four on first serves and did not lose a point on his delivery to reach 2-3. The Spaniard closed out another love game for 4-2 with a wicked 126 MPH service winner.
Djokovic released an ace down the T for 30-0 in the seventh game but lost the next four points. At 30-30, stationed on top of the net, seemingly poised to send a backhand volley down the line for a winner, he netted it. At 30-40, his 113 MPH second serve was long. That double fault gave Alcaraz the insurance break for 5-2, and he swiftly wrapped up the set 6-2 with a pair of service winners.
The Spaniard was performing prodigiously, but Djokovic competed pridefully in the third set. He opened with a comfortable hold at 15 for 1-0 which included a pair of service winners and a forehand winner set up by a well located T serve. The Serbian went to 0-30 in the second game but the Spaniard eventually held on to make it 1-1 and then went full force after a service break in the third game. There were five deuces and Alcaraz had four break points but Djokovic found new energy and inspiration to hold for 2-1. After both players served love games, Djokovic fought ferociously for a break in the sixth game as the Centre Court audience rallied behind him. He reached break point with a scintillating backhand crosscourt passing shot. Had he converted it would have allowed him the luxury of a 4-2 lead, but Alcaraz wasn’t having it. He sent an unstoppable first serve down the T at 123 MPH and Djokovic at full stretch had no chance to return it. After four deuces, Alcaraz held for 3-3 with an ace.
With the score locked at four games all, Alcaraz was sublime. He broke at 15 with three dazzling winners capped by an acutely angled backhand passing shot. Serving for the match in the following game, he practically had the tittle in his hands. The Spaniard surged to 40-0 and triple match point, but he double faulted and netted a backhand off a deep forehand return from the Serbian. At 40-30, he produced a 132 MPH first serve to the Djokovic backhand which the No. 2 seed could only block back high. A fan screamed out in anticipation of a potential match concluding shot from the Spaniard, but Alcaraz missed a forehand swing volley. Two more forehand mistakes from the Spaniard meant that Djokovic was back to 5-5 and alive.
He held easily for 6-5 but Alcaraz used the changeover to clear his head. He held at love for 6-6 with a forehand winner, an un-returnable serve, a backhand half volley drop shot winner and a remarkable 120 MPH second serve which Djokovic could not get back into play. That confident love hold for 6-6 took him into the tie-break with gusto. Djokovic, of course, is the premier tie-break player of them all. He came into this contest with a career win-loss record of 331-169.
But Alcaraz was no slouch at 66-40. He took a 3-1 lead in this sequence with another dazzling forehand down the line winner. Djokovic rallied to 3-3. Alcaraz remained calm and resolute. He took the next point with an exquisite finesse half volley and then Djokovic misfired badly on a forehand down the line. To 5-3 went Alcaraz. Although Djokovic closed the gap to 5-4 with a neatly executed serve-volley combination, Alcaraz made it 6-4 with one of his patented forehand drop shots. Now, at double match point, his relief was palpable when Djokovic netted a routine backhand second serve return. Alcaraz halted Djokovic 6-2, 6-2,7-6 (4). He raised his record to 4-0 in Grand Slam finals but this was the first time he had been victorious in straight sets. As for Djokovic, he was appearing in a record 37th Grand Slam title round match and this was only his thirteenth defeat.
The pathway to the final for Alcaraz was more complicated than for Djokovic. The Spaniard opened his campaign against Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal and moved past the world No. 269 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-2. He then cut down the Australian Aleksandar Vukic 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2. Those victories set the stage for a third round appointment between Alcaraz and the charismatic American Frances Tiafoe, who pushed the Spaniard to five tumultuous sets in the penultimate round at the 2022 U.S. Open.
This time round, Tiafoe made it an even closer contest. In fact, Alcaraz was out of sorts for most of the match and only his moxie and poise under pressure enabled him to salvage a hard earned victory. Tiafoe was serving with considerable power and purpose across the first four sets of this encounter. He also stood toe to toe with the Spaniard from the backcourt, but his serve was the primary propellor of his game.
The No. 29 seed was right where he wanted to be, leading two sets to one, locked at 4-4 in the fourth, and ahead 0-30 in the ninth game. But Alcaraz met that moment with typical clarity, sweeping four points in a row, taking the last with an ace out wide. They moved into a tie-break, and Tiafoe failed to put away a high forehand volley when serving at 0-1, allowing Alcaraz a wide open court for the backhand passing shot. The Spaniard was majestic in winning that tie-break seven points to two, and he never looked back.
Alcaraz came through 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2. Tiafoe inexplicably lost a lot of velocity on his serve during a disappointing fifth set but Alcaraz lifted his game considerably, getting the job done despite knowing he did not have anything resembling his best stuff for the bulk of the battle.
Nothing got any easier from there. Facing the free-wheeling, left-handed Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the round of 16, Alcaraz led two sets to love. but was subsequently blitzed in the third set. Humbert then had Alcaraz talking frantically to his corner during the fourth set. The 21-year-old recklessly went for a second serve ace down the T at 3-4, 0-30 and missed it by a mile. And so he found himself down 0-40. Humbert thus had triple break point for the chance to serve for the fourth set and go the distance. But Alcaraz recovered his form and rescued himself convincingly. He held on for 4-4 and carved out a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 win over the No. 16 seed for a place in the quarterfinals.
Waiting for him there was No. 12 seed Tommy Paul of the United States. Paul had won the ATP singles title at the Queen’s Club n London a few weeks before, and this agile all court player had split four career meetings against the Spaniard, all on hard courts starting in 2022. On the grass at the All England Club, Paul performed commendably at the outset of his duel with Alcaraz and took the opening set.
But he never seemed to think he could get the better of Alcaraz from the baseline and continued his recent trend by looking to get to the net as frequently as possible. That played into the No. 3 seed’s hands. Paul pressed often, going dangerously close to the lines and making too many mistakes on his approach shots. Meanwhile, Alcaraz found his range in every facet of his arsenal. He romped 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 despite the inauspicious start.
Now the time had come for the Spaniard to confront Daniil Medvedev, the same man he met in the 2023 semifinals. Medvedev had come off a hard fought triumph over the top seed Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. Before we move on to Alcaraz versus Medvedev, let’s examine what happened when Medvedev toppled Sinner.
The Italian had not been unassailable over the fortnight but he was playing well. I was among the prognosticators who believed that Sinner was poised to defeat Alcaraz on the lawns of the All England Club after consecutive losses to the Spaniard on the hard courts of Indian Wells and the red clay at Roland Garros. Sinner seemed eager to make amends and healthier physically than he was in Paris.
He also was riding the wave of a five match winning streak against Medvedev after losing their first six confrontations. But Sinner was suffering from dizzy spells and some kind of illness when he took on a highly charged and tremendously determined Medvedev in a stirring quarterfinal collision. Sinner was fortunate to escape in the opening set after serving a double fault at 5-5 in the tie-break to fall behind set point.
But somehow the top seed sealed that set. By the middle of the second set it was apparent that not only was Medvedev on song from the backcourt and serving tremendously but Sinner was clearly not displaying his customary quiet intensity. He lost the second set and went down a break in the third and then called for the doctor and trainer. Sinner left the court and did seem to improve periodically. Medvedev served for that pivotal third set at 5-4 but was broken at 15 after making four unprovoked mistakes.
Two games later, Medvedev was serving to stay in the set as Sinner moved with more alacrity and played with more purpose. Twice in that crucial 5-6 game, Medvedev was set point down but he saved the first with an ace and was entirely fortunate on the second as Sinner missed a routine backhand crosscourt passing shot. Medvedev held on for 6-6 with another ace and did not drop a point on his serve in the ensuing tie-break which he took 7-4.
Once more, Sinner recovered his zest to win the fourth set easily, but Medvedev was implacable. He broke Sinner for 3-1 in the fifth set and then worked his way through a tense game to hold for 4-1 on his sixth game point. In his last two service games Medvedev did not drop a point, closing out a 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3 victory that was one of his most important in a long while.
And yet, Alcaraz was ready for the 6’6”, No. 5 seed. A year ago, Alcaraz had routed Medvedev in straight sets with almost embarrassing ease, but this time Medvedev started the match with much more self assurance. He was twice up a break in the opening set, serving for it at 5-3. An apprehensive Alcaraz somehow made it to a tie-break but Medvedev took utter control and won it seven points to one.
For the third time in the tournament, the defending champion was down a set. But after the Spaniard broke for a 3-1 second set lead, he was unstoppable. He demonstrated once again that, although Medvedev will have occasional days when he can upend Alcaraz as he did at the 2023 U.S. Open, there will be many more afternoons when the big man is simply outclassed and even somewhat overwhelmed by the Spanish stylist. It is a terrible matchup for Medvedev in every which way and that will always be the case. Stylistically, no one is better equipped to make Medvedev uncomfortable, discombobulated and confused than the Spaniard.
As for Djokovic, his route to the title round contest was less stressful than Alcaraz’s. The No. 2 seed had knee surgery 25 days before the start of the tournament and most members of the cognoscenti believed he would not have any chance to compete on the most heralded stage in the sport. But there is no one quite like Djokovic in that regard.
Opening against world No. 123 Vit Kopriva, Djokovic rolled past the qualifier 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. He did, however, have a much tougher time in the second round. Djokovic knocked out Jacob Fearnley 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 after leading two sets to love and a break up in the third. The 37-year-old trailed 2-3, 15-40 in the fourth set but prevailed in a 17 stroke exchange and then unleashed a forehand winner for deuce. He held on and eventually broke on a double fault from the Englishman at 5-5 before holding at 15 to finish it off.
Once more he was tested in the third round, this time by the capable Australian Alex Popyrin. The world No. 47 served potently in the opening set and exploited his searing forehand, but thereafter Djokovic settled rhythmically into the match and prevailed 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3). In that fourth set tie-break, he was in his familiar lockdown mode, measuring every shot immaculately, playing with controlled aggression.
Many in the know believed that the No. 2 seed might be in for an arduous test when he took on No. 15 seed Holger Rune. The Dane had twice upended Djokovic in five previous meetings, and had given the Serbian stern, three set tests last autumn in both Paris and Turin.
But Djokovic was in no mood for a protracted contest in this round of 16 appointment. Despite what he viewed as a hostile audience—or perhaps because of it—Djokovic was in his fiercest competitive mood in casting aside Rune 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. The Serbian collected the first twelve points of the match on his way to a 3-0 first set lead. Only at the end of the second set was he put through any meaningful duress. Rune rallied from 3-5, 0-40 and saved six set points before holding. In the following game, Djokovic was down break point but an impeccable serve down the T set up a forehand winner and he soon he held on for the set. The decisive third set was almost inevitable as a dispirited Rune recognized precisely what he was up against.
Conceivably, the industrious Alex de Minaur could have provided tough opposition for Djokovic in the quarterfinals but the Australian injured his hip at the end of his round of 16 win over the Frenchman Arthur Fils. The No. 9 seed was forced to default the match to Djokovic. That sent the seven-times champion into the semifinals and a duel with the Italian wizard Lorenzo Musetti.
Seeded 25th, the Queen’s Club finalist had upset No.13 seed Taylor Fritz in a five set, round of 16 contest. Musetti played an inspired match in many ways against Djokovic. Although his record was 1-5 against his iconic adversary, Musetti had also twice taken Djokovic to five sets at Roland Garros including their most recent skirmish this year in Paris.
On the grass, however, despite the progress he has made on that surface, Musetti was decidedly outclassed. Djokovic served for the first set at 5-3 and reached 40-15, but Musetti surprisingly broke at that juncture. Unflustered, Djokovic immediately broke back to seal the set. Soon he trailed 1-3 in the second set but Djokovic won that one in a tie-break when he committed only one unforced error. Musetti made one more stand at 3-5 in the third when he held from 0-40 and triple match point down. The Italian even had a break point in the tenth game but Djokovic erased it and finished off a 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4 triumph with what he regarded as a workmanlike performance.
Alcaraz’s performance in the final was anything but workmanlike. It may have been the best big match he has ever played, and it was certainly his signature moment at Wimbledon. In taking his second straight title on the lawns of the All England Club, Alcaraz joins an elite cast of male competitors who have been triumphant at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year during the Open Era. Rod Laver did it in 1969 when he went on to win his second Grand Slam. Bjorn Borg realized this immense feat three years in a row (1978-80). Rafael Nadal managed the French-Wimbledon double twice (2008 and 2010). Federer joined the club in 2009, and Djokovic was the last previous player to do it in 2021.
Alcaraz is a complicated fellow in some ways. He has a tendency to show off his brilliance and craftsmanship only sporadically, but in the final of Wimbledon against perhaps the greatest player the game has yet seen, the Spaniard demonstrably proved that he could sustain his excellence and bring out his best tennis for long and often breathtaking stretches. It was a joy to witness him playing the sport with unbridled joy, high intelligence and rich imagination. He is going to win Wimbledon many more times.
