Carlos Alcaraz, 20, Wins Wimbledon Defeating Novak Djokovic

The 20-year-old is still the number one ranked in the world for men’s tennis. Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon men’s final, as he also secured his second Grand Slam title. Here is the final moment of their match, as it lasted almost five hours in an intense back and forth.

In a five-set thriller, Spain’s Alcaraz defeated the record holder Djokovic 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, and 6-4 while the Serbian came up short with only 6-1 and 6-3 wins. The 36-year-old has a record with 23 Grand Slam titles, but Alcaraz winning against him is a whole new feat for him.

Alcaraz won his first major title in 2022 for the U.S. Open, becoming the youngest number one ranked in men’s tennis globally ever at 19 years old. It was also his fourth grass event ever as a professional tennis player, as he outlasted Djokovic in a match lasting four hours and 42 minutes.

The Serbian great had not lost at the All-England Club since 2017, as Alcaraz broke his 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon.

“It’s a dream come true for me,” Alcaraz said after the match. “As I said before, of course, it’s great to win, but even if I would’ve lost, I would be proud of myself in this run, making history in this beautiful tournament, playing a final against a legend in this sport.”

This was a rematch of the 2023 French Open Semifinal, as the world’s number one and number two went against each other in Alcaraz and Djokovic. That time, the 36-year-old won in four sets, with the 20-year-old dealing with cramps at Roland Garros. The Spanish tennis player also started slow in Wimbledon, as he lost his first set 1-6 to the Serbian, but wasn’t affected by previous cramping issues.

“After the first set, I thought, ‘Carlos, increase the level. Everyone could be disappointed,'” Alcaraz said, drawing laughs from the crowd. “I have to congratulate Novak, it’s amazing to play against him. What can I say about him? He is unbelievable. You inspire me a lot.”

However, Alcaraz rebounded on the second set and found his footing, lasting about an hour and 25 minutes before tying it up. Normally, Djokovic takes care of his opponents in that range with 15 consecutive tiebreak wins. However, Spain’s superstar beat those odds, and the legend’s streak of tiebreak wins in the second set, winning 7-6 (8-6).

That was sort of the turn of the tide, as Alcaraz took that win and ran with it into the third set, one that lasted about an hour in its own right. The 20-year-old led 3-1 but then Djokovic found his rhythm after the sixth break point but just couldn’t get close enough, as this match lasted about 26 minutes. After 32 points and 13 deuces, Alcaraz got the 4-1 lead that led to him winning the set 6-1 over the 36-year-old.

Djokovic entered the fifth set with a 10-1 record in five-set matches at Wimbledon, as he also briefly left the court ahead of the fourth set. The veteran’s experience came in handy for the final stage, but with the young star focused and determined, Alcaraz was able to get his first Wimbledon trophy in the end, winning the last set 6-4.

The Serbian was happy for him and said he was impressed with how well the Spaniard adjusted to playing on grass.

“As for me, obviously you know I never like to lose matches like this, but I guess when all the emotions are settled I have to still be very grateful because I won many, many tight and close matches in the past year,” Djokovic said. “Maybe I should’ve lost a couple of finals that I won, so I think this is even-steven.”

For Alcaraz, he pulled off a rare feat in a comeback not many, if anyone, has done even as the top-ranked player. Achieving this feat over Djokovic puts him among the greats already at such a young age, potentially signaling a changing of the guard between generations.

Article by Andrew Kim

Projected Summer, 2023 Graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Media Studies/ Journalism from Mercy College.