With a performance of rare brilliance, Carlos Alcaraz defended a major title for the first time in his exceptional career when routing Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final on Sunday, denying the Serbian legend’s bid to create more history.
Australian icon Ken Rosewall watched from the Royal Box as the Spanish sensation dismissed Djokovic’s attempt to replace him as the oldest player to win a grand slam title with ruthless ease when successful 6-2 6-2 7-6 (4) in 2hr 27min.
The game Alcaraz played to break Djokovic for the final time to move ahead 5-4 encapsulated his brilliance as the Spaniard skipped through the final swiftly enough to ensure he had ample time to settle in for his nation’s European Championships final against England.
He hit a thunderstruck forehand winner on the first point, another bullet to draw an error on the next, then whipped a forehand pass beyond the reach of the Serbian to move to 0-40 before, two points later, landing a stunning backhand passing shot to break.
Seemingly resigned to his fate, the 24-time major winner Djokovic barely sat down before walking to the opposite baseline, an audacious bid to create history just 40 days after undergoing knee surgery destroyed by the magnificence of a rival 16 years his junior.
But there was a wobble as the 21-year-old attempted to serve out the match and Djokovic, to his credit, remained defiant.
Alcaraz held three match points when, after he double-faulted on his first opportunity, a woman screamed at the top of her voice just as the Spaniard was about to swing at a drive forehand volley from mid-court.
Distracted, he missed and subsequently dropped serve for the first time. But despite the match tightening, it did not prove to be the scream that changed history, with Alcaraz regaining his focus to complete the rout.
In a tournament where a new record for five set matches was set at 37, the most-anticipated of them all was over in three.
Triumphant in a vastly different final to their classic of last year, Alcaraz joins his idol Rafael Nadal as the only Spanish men to win Wimbledon twice and Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker as players to win multiple titles at the All England Lawn Tennis Club by the age of 21.
He joins Roger Federer as the only man in the Open era to win their first four major titles and Borg, Becker and Mats Wilander as four-time major winners at his current age. He has now beaten a legend twice in a Wimbledon final and is walking with the greats of all time.
Djokovic had enjoyed great success during the tournament when coming to the net and entered the match having won 78 percent of points when coming forward. Shortening points was a chief tactic to ensure he protected his knee as much as possible over the fortnight.
But against Alcaraz, who whipped winners past him from the opening game, his success rate in doing so was well below 50 percent throughout the final, with the pressure applied by the Spaniard drawing repeated and unusual errors from the Serbian.
There were periods in 2022 and 2023 where Djokovic, who was superb when winning three major titles last year, would point out that his generation remained supreme. He knew Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were coming, but the champion was defiant. He was still the King.
But his reign of dominance is over. It is not to say he will not add another record to his name as the oldest ever grand slam champion. But nor will be the favourite anymore.
Sinner routined him on his favourite court at Melbourne Park on route to the Australian Open. Injury grounded his hopes in Paris. And Alcaraz has him covered at Wimbledon. History shows that winning grand slams at the age of 37 and beyond is improbable.
Rosewall, who was seated in the Royal Box alongside the Princess and other luminaries including Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt, won the 1972 Australian Open two months after celebrating his 37th birthday.
Roger Federer and Djokovic won majors aged 36 and Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams added to their tallies at the age of 35.
Williams serves as a case in point for the challenge confronting Djokovic as he seeks a 25th major title that would put him beyond Margaret Court.
After winning the Australian Open in 2017 to move to 23 grand slam titles, she was unable to clinch another to equal Court.
In the four finals she reached, the American legend was well beaten by younger, more powerful rivals.
Again, it is not to say the superstar cannot clinch a 25th major title for it is never wise to write a champion off, particularly one with Djokovic’s record, but winning another will be his greatest challenge.
HOW WIMLBEDON WAS WON BY SPANISH SENSATION
An exceptional opening game lasting 20 points and 13 minutes was a portent of what was to come, with Alcaraz seizing the initial break on his fifth opportunity when Djokovic cracked.
The pressure was high, with the Spaniard making 16 returns in the service game to ensure the Serbian was forced to play almost every point in a high-stress opening.
Djokovic, as has been his manner throughout a tournament he entered under a cloud, showed a determination to shorten points, but found returns whizzing past him at the net.
Alcaraz won Roland Garros while restrained from fully unleashing on his forehand due to an arm injury that forced him out of a number of lead in events.
But that did not prove an issue throughout Wimbledon and in his opening service game he smacked his fastest serve for the tournament at 218khm.
His service percentage against Djokovic early in the match was also significantly higher than it had been in his two previous victories, when it dipped below 50 percent.
A factor, too, was the speed of his groundstrokes.
Djokovic was able to protect his knee and seemed to have ample time to work into points in his five victories through the tournament. But Alcaraz robbed him of time in the final.
This saw the Serbian pressing from the baseline and on serve and the cumulative pressure saw him conceded a second break for the match when double-faulting at 1-3.
A year ago Djokovic whipped through the first set 6-1 against a hesitant and errant Alcaraz. This time around he was rattled by the sustained excellence of a more mature man.
The Spaniard clinched the first set in 41 minutes, having won 35 of the 69 points, with his dominance particularly clear in rallies of less than four shots, where he led 27 to 16.
The second set started in a similar fashion to the first in one regard, with Alcaraz breaking the seven-time champion immediately.
But he did not need 20 points this time, instead seizing the initiative when breaking Djokovic to 15 when drawing a forehand volley error from the legend.
The Serbian had a front row seat to The Alcaraz Experience and even joined in the applause at one stage after the Spaniard made a superb low volley off a return Djokovic had timed sweetly when leading 2-1, 30-0.
The pattern of the match continued when Djokovic was again broken when serving at 2-5, with the 24-time major champion again netting a backhand volley late in the game.
It may have appeared a regulation volley but, rest assured, when pitted against a player with Alcaraz’s explosiveness, trying to put away a ball dipping below the net is tricky.
A point later, he double-faulted for the second time on break point in the final in another indication that he was both below his best but also playing under extreme pressure.
Djokovic managed something he was yet to do in the final when holding his serve to open the third set. And he fought hard to deny Alcaraz two games later but saving three break points with precise serving and big-swinging forehand volley drives.
Djokovic was irked through the tournament by the support the Centre Court crowd gave rivals including Alexei Popyrin and Holger Rune late in matches as the begged for their time watching the grand theatre to be extended.
The shoe was on the other foot this time, for it was Djokovic the crowd jumped behind midway through the third set as he attempted to find a toehold in the final and to make it competitive.
A case in point came when he whipped a backhand winner to bring up a rare break point at 30-40 while leading the third set 3-2. Alcaraz responded like Djokovic has done with such distinction through his career, namely by pumping an unreturnable serve down the middle.
The mid-point scream gave the Serbian a brief reprieve late in the final. But the pattern of play continued in the tiebreaker, with Alcaraz both more brilliant and precise, while Djokovic was unable to find his range with his usual consistency.
Source Agencies
