Carlos Alcaraz was prepared right from the start this time. Last year in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz had a slow beginning, lost the first set, and needed five sets to win his first championship at the All England Club.
Sunday’s rematch began with a game that felt significant: 20 points over nearly 15 minutes, suggesting an intense, back-and-forth match — and a lengthy one.
Both players showed moments of brilliance. However, Alcaraz was superior. This continued for almost the next two hours.
Alcaraz took the lessons from 2023 and applied them in 2024, resulting in a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) victory over Djokovic for his second consecutive Wimbledon title and fourth Grand Slam overall. Remarkably, he is only 21 years old.
“I want to be counted among the greats when my career ends,” said Alcaraz, who won the French Open last month and, after receiving the Wimbledon trophy from Kate, the Princess of Wales, is now one of only six men to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.
Alcaraz remains undefeated in major finals, including his win at the 2022 U.S. Open; only Roger Federer had a better start to his career among men, going 7-0.
“He was just better than me in every aspect of the game,” said Djokovic, 37, who had knee surgery less than six weeks ago but aimed to equal Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles and become the first player to win 25 Grand Slam tournaments in tennis history.
“In movement, in the way he struck the ball beautifully, serving superbly. Everything.”
For Alcaraz, there was a brief moment of trouble, a five-point sequence that nearly turned his near victory into a collapse. It happened when he was just one point from winning the championship while serving at 5-4, 40-love.
However, he double-faulted. Then missed a backhand. Followed by a volley and two forehands. Suddenly, the score was tied at 5-all. Alcaraz seemed shaken all of a sudden. Djokovic saw a chance to turn the match around.
There was sudden tension. But it didn’t last long. Alcaraz gathered himself, made it to the tiebreaker, and then finished the match.
“Last year,” Djokovic recalled, “we fought hard.” “But this year,” he added, “it was different. It was all about him. He controlled the game and deserved to win.”
Djokovic, wearing a knee sleeve, wasn’t at his best on a cloudy afternoon at Centre Court — and Alcaraz was a big reason for that. The very first game was the most competitive part of the match until the third set.
That’s not to say there weren’t exciting moments after that. It’s more that the result never seemed in doubt.
“The first game was incredible. One of the longest first games I’ve played,” Djokovic said. “It set the tone. Alcaraz came out ready to fight and play his best right away, which wasn’t the case last year.”
Djokovic made some critical errors in the match. He double-faulted to give away a 5-1 lead in the first set. Then, he missed a volley early in the second set, falling behind with a break. He double-faulted again to lose that set.
In the third set, Djokovic showed some improvement. He managed to break Alcaraz’s serve once, which was his only break of the entire match. The crowd cheered him on with chants of his nickname, “No-le! No-le!” while others supported Alcaraz with chants of “Let’s go, Carlos! Let’s go!”
However, Djokovic wasn’t his usual agile self. Given his recent doubts about participating in Wimbledon due to injury, he sometimes seemed uncomfortable on the court. He occasionally moved awkwardly after serving or walked gingerly between points.
His performance at the net was also below his usual standard, winning only 27 out of 53 points when approaching the net.
During one intense rally, Djokovic missed a volley and visibly showed his frustration as he returned to his seat for a towel. His expression seemed to convey a message like, “Come on, Carlitos, find someone your own age to challenge.”
Alcaraz played exceptionally well in every aspect of the game. He executed basic shots flawlessly and attempted daring shots that few others would even consider. At one point, he made a remarkable shot by swinging his racket behind his back to return the ball over the net, although Djokovic managed to win the point with an overhead shot.
Alcaraz covered the court impressively, hitting forehand winners from wide angles and scoring points with drop shots. He served as fast as 136 mph (219 kph), created 14 break point opportunities, converted five of them, and faced only three break points himself.
