Wimbledon 2024: Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic in final to retain title

This is the sixth meeting between Alcaraz, 21, and Djokovic, 16 years older. All previous battles were either to advance to the final or to fight for the championship. They never met before the semifinal stage of the tournament. Three of those matches ended in victory for the experienced Serb.

A year ago, fate brought them together in the Wimbledon final. This time, the young Spaniard performed better, defeating the veteran 1:6, 7:6 (8-6), 6:2, 3:6, 6:4.

Not only does Djokovic have a chance to win a rematch, he also equals Federer’s record of eight wins in London and his 25th Grand Slam title, a record he has held since last season.

If the first game was any indication of what the fans were waiting for on Centre Court throughout the tournament, they could be sure that a real tennis feast was in store. The match lasted nearly a quarter of an hour and ended with Djokovic breaking after he had saved four break points and had the advantage several times. All in vain. By the fifth break, there was nothing he could do.

Alcaraz followed up the attack and expanded his lead with his own pass. In the fifth game, the Serbian broke for the second time.

Djokovic tried to get back into the game, and he even got a break chance in the sixth game, but the Spaniard successfully defended himself. After more than 40 minutes of fierce battle in the first set, the defending champion ended with a score of 6:2.

The second game did not signal any change at the start. The Serbian broke again, this time not defending as fiercely as at the beginning of the match. The Spaniard’s advantage was clear at this stage. After the seventh game, when he broke Djokovic for the fourth time, the number was even greater.

The second set also ended with the Spaniard leading 6:2.

Djokovic was backed up against the wall and had to fight back. He may never get another chance to turn the tide and win a coveted 25th Grand Slam title. If I can do that, I will become the first tennis player in history to win a Wimbledon final after losing the first two sets.

He tried Alcaraz’s first serve, but the Spaniard quickly made up the two-point deficit and did not win the game. Instead, he took the old path and tried to put more pressure on the Serbian. This time, Djokovic was lucky, but not lucky.

The Serbian finally found his most powerful weapon, his serve, which had so far eluded him. In the third set, he started to win many more points on his first serve than before. This allowed him to defend subsequent breaks more effectively. However, he still hadn’t found a solution on how to take the Spaniard’s serve away.

But all the Serbian’s efforts were in vain. In the 9th game, Alcaraz broke for the fifth time. The Spaniard was only four wins away from defending his title.

But even in moments like this, Djokovic is not used to giving up. He saved three match points and got rid of the Spaniard, expanding his chances of changing the outcome of the match.

The outcome of the third set could only be decided in a tiebreak. It was the Spaniard who was the first to win the mini-break. However, he had to maintain this tiny advantage until the end of the extra time. The Serbian did not make his task easy. However, he threw the ball out of bounds with his own pass, opening the way for Alcaraz to win his second consecutive title at the All England Club.

The Spaniard did not waste his fourth match ball.

Carlos Alcaraz – Novak Djokovic 6:2, 6:2, 7:6 (6-4)