LONDON (AP) 鈥� Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the men鈥檚 final Sunday to collect his fourth Grand Slam title at age 21.
It was a rematch of championship match on the grass of the All England Club, which won in five sets.
This one 鈥� played in front of a Centre Court crowd that included Kate, , in a rare public appearance since announcing she has cancer 鈥� was much easier for Alcaraz, at least until he stumbled while holding three match points as he served for the victory at 5-4 in the third set.
Still, Alcaraz regrouped and eventually picked up a second major trophy in a row after last month鈥檚 .
The Spaniard won his first Slam title at the 2022 U.S. Open as a teenager, and no man ever has collected more Slam hardware before turning 22 than he has.
He improved to 4-0 in major finals.
The , wearing a gray sleeve on his surgically repaired right knee, was denied in his bid for an eighth Wimbledon title and record 25th major overall. He at Roland Garros on June 3 and had an operation in Paris two days later.
Less than six weeks later, Djokovic was hardly at his best on Sunday 鈥� and Alcaraz certainly had something to do with that.
鈥淓specially in the first couple of sets, the level of tennis wasn鈥檛 really up to par on my side,鈥� said Djokovic, whose two children were in his guest box. 鈥淗e had it all today. I tried to push him. ... It wasn鈥檛 meant to be.鈥�
It was only when Alcaraz was right on the brink of victory that things finally became a tad more intriguing, as some spectators offered chants of Djokovic鈥檚 two-syllable nickname 鈥� 鈥淣o-le! No-le!鈥� 鈥� while others replied with choruses of 鈥淟et鈥檚 go, Carlos! Let鈥檚 go!鈥�
Alcaraz was up 5-4, 40-love in the third set when the occasion got the better of him. He frittered away his first championship point with a double-fault, beginning a run of five mistakes by him that donated points 鈥� and that game 鈥� to Djokovic. There was a backhand that went awry. A forehand volley. A forehand. Another forehand. That was the only time all match that Djokovic broke Alcaraz.
Suddenly, it was 5-all. Suddenly, Alcaraz appeared rattled. Suddenly, Djokovic could hope.
But in the ensuing tiebreaker, Alcaraz earned his fourth match point and stayed cool as can be this time. Soon he was climbing through the stands to hug his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and others.
Just under 2 1/2 hours earlier, at the outset, the opening game appeared to portend an engrossing, back-and forth contest 鈥� and a long one, perhaps worrying some folks about getting to a pub or a couch in time to see England face Spain in the men鈥檚 soccer in Germany on Sunday night. Alcaraz, of course, had a rooting interest.
All told, that game consisted of seven deuces and 20 points across a hair shy of 14 minutes, containing brilliant moments by both men. Sprinting, sliding, stretching defense by Djokovic. Return winners by Alcaraz. When he slapped a strong reply to a 125 mph (202 kph) serve and drew a wide forehand from Djokovic, Alcaraz cashed in his fifth break chance.
That, it turned out, was the most competitive portion of the proceedings until the third set.
Not to say there weren鈥檛 hints of brilliance the rest of the way. Just the outcome never really seemed in dispute.
Djokovic double-faulted to hand over a two-break, 5-1 lead in the first set. He put a volley into the net to fall behind by a break to begin the second, then double-faulted to end that one.
This was not the body-contorting, get-to-everything Djokovic everyone is accustomed to seeing, mind you. There鈥檚 his age, first of all, and the matter of his knee, which raised serious questions about whether it would be possible to even participate at Wimbledon.
By his account, Djokovic felt free of pain and able to move with his usual verve by only his third or fourth match of the fortnight. On this partly cloudy afternoon, with the temperature at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius), Djokovic occasionally hopped awkwardly when he landed after serving or stepped gingerly 鈥� as if barefoot on a beach鈥檚 hot sand 鈥� between points or watched some of Alcaraz鈥檚 big groundstrokes fly past without giving chase.
Djokovic missed volleys he usually makes and won just 27 of 53 points when he went forward.
After netting a volley to close one early 11-stroke exchange, Djokovic sighed and walked to his sideline seat to grab a purple-and-green towel for dabbing at sweat. His facial expression was giving: 鈥淐ome on, Carlitos, pick on someone your own age.鈥�
Alcaraz was outstanding in pretty much every way, from the basic to the sorts of shots no one else would even try, much less pull off. Once, he leaped and wrapped his racket all the way around his back to get the ball over the net, although Djokovic did put an overhead away to get that point. Alcaraz ran wide of the doubles alley for forehand winners. Claimed points via drop shots. Smacked serves at up to 136 mph (219 kph). Accumulated 14 break points, converting five, while facing just three, despite going up against Djokovic, considered many the greatest returner there鈥檚 been.
What can鈥檛 Alcaraz do?
Two days before the final, Djokovic paid Alcaraz quite a compliment, saying: 鈥淚 see a lot of similarities between me and him, in terms of ability to adapt and adjust to the surface. That鈥檚 probably his biggest trait. ... He鈥檚 got skills to play equally well on any surface and to adapt to a given opponent that particular day. So he鈥檚 a very all-around player, very complete player.鈥�
So true.
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AP tennis:
Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
