World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz ended Novak Djokovic’s hopes of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam to claim his maiden Wimbledon title.
The young Spaniard looked to be on his way to victory when he recovered from a nervous start to take a two-sets-to-one lead, only for Djokovic to show once again his remarkable powers of resilience.
It was he who appeared in the ascendancy at the start of the fifth set but back came 20-year-old Alcaraz to claim victory after four hours and 43 minutes, finally landing a meaningful blow for the young guns against the man 16 years his senior.
Alcaraz slumped to the court after Djokovic’s final forehand dropped into the net before sharing a long embrace with the vanquished Serb.
It has been clear for a long time, though, that Carlos Alcaraz is just different. He is different both in terms of his peerless on-court talents and the supreme mental strength that underpins his success. A month after his body crumbled under the sheer tension of facing Djokovic at the French Open, Alcaraz recovered from a set deficit to perform at a remarkable level across five sets as the No 1 seed toppled Djokovic 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to win his first Wimbledon title.
It was an astonishing match and performance, a victory that required every immeasurable self-belief and sustained shot-making of the highest quality from Alcaraz while playing at a level of intensity that he has never experienced across five sets.
In the early stages, it seemed that experience might triumph as Djokovic, the second seed, smothered Alcaraz with his incessant depth and retrieval skills. After just 27 minutes, Djokovic led 5-0 before he quickly closed out the set. But Alcaraz slowly began to find his range and the intensity skyrocketed in an incredible second set as they tussled in high‑octane rallies, Alcaraz forcing as Djokovic countered, with two of the best athletes in the game covering every blade of grass.
Staring down the best player of all time in a fifth set, Alcaraz refused to cower. After missing a break point in the opening game, he immediately saved one himself with his outrageous, last-ditch defence that forced a drive volley error from Djokovic. As the intensity rose again, a breathless exchange at break point on Djokovic’s serve ended with the Serb falling down, rising again and then watching as Alcaraz nailed a backhand down-the-line passing shot winner to break. While Alcaraz celebrated snatching a 2-1 lead, Djokovic cracked his racket on the net post.
Against the best returner of all time, famed for his ability to recover from any deficit, Alcaraz kept moving forward. He found big serves and enormous forehands whenever he needed them. Then he lined up to the baseline at 5-4 without any hint of fear or nerves, and in a stunning game that included a bold drop shot and a lunging volley winner, Alcaraz served out the match of his life.
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