Carlos Alcaraz denied Novak Djokovic’s bid for more tennis history, winning what may have been a torch-passing Wimbledon final in five sets.
Alcaraz, a Spaniard, rallied past Djokovic 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 to deny the 36-year-old Serb a record-tying eighth Wimbledon men’s singles title and record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title.
“For a boy, 20 years old, I didn’t expect to reach this kind of situation really fast,” said Alcaraz, who has played four career grass-court events. “I fall in love with grass right now.”
Alcaraz handed Djokovic his first loss at Wimbledon in six years and his first loss on Centre Court in a decade (when Alcaraz was 10).
The Spanish sensation has done it 🇪🇸@carlosalcaraz triumphs over Novak Djokovic, 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in an all-time classic#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/sPGLXr2k99
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 16, 2023
“Since I was born, you already was winning tournaments,” Alcaraz said in his on-court winner’s interview.
The only younger men to win Wimbledon since the professional era began in 1968 were Bjorn Borg and Boris Becker. Alcaraz is now the youngest man in this era to own Wimbledon and U.S. Open titles, winning the former last year.
Djokovic was bidding to tie Roger Federer’s record for Wimbledon men’s titles and tie Margaret Court’s record for total Grand Slam singles titles and to become the oldest man to win Wimbledon in the Open Era.
“Tough one to swallow when you are so close,” Djokovic said in his on-court runner-up interview, later breaking into tears after acknowledging his 8-year-old son, Stefan, in the crowd.
Before Alcaraz’s triumph, the last 19 Wimbledon men’s titles were shared among Djokovic, Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Alcaraz was not alive the last time a non-Big Four member won it.
Alcaraz, the top seed, was slow out of the gate, losing a third consecutive 6-1 set to Djokovic dating to their French Open semifinal, where he attributed full-body cramps to the pressure of facing Djokovic at a Slam for the first time.
In the second set, Alcaraz ended Djokovic’s streak of 15 consecutive tiebreakers won in Grand Slam play (a stat that Alcaraz knew).
Alcaraz then won the third 6-1, including breaking Djokovic in a 27-minute game.
Djokovic took a seven-minute off-court break, then evened the match in the fourth.
In the fifth, Alcaraz broke Djokovic at 1-all on a point where Djokovic fell, Alcaraz later hit a backhand winner and Djokovic then destroyed his racket on a net post, appearing to leave marks on the post.
Alcaraz held serve four more times to close out the match and a win for the ages.
“I thought I’ll have trouble with you only on clay and maybe hard court,” Djokovic said, “but not on grass.”
