Alcaraz a 1st time Wimbledon men’s champion, retains No. 1 ranking over Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz said he wanted another shot at Novak Djokovic. Said it would make winning a Wimbledon championship more special. Well, Alcaraz got his chance to play against Djokovic. And he hit him.

Putting aside a bad start, Alcaraz rushed down the stretch to end Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at the All England Club by defeating him 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6 -4 in an enthralling, back-and-forth final on Sunday, claiming his first Wimbledon championship as his second Grand Slam trophy.

No. 1 seeded Alcaraz prevented Djokovic from what would have been a record-tying eighth title, and fifth in a row, on the grass tournament. Djokovic was also held back from claiming his 24th career major.

Instead of Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, who became the oldest male champion at Wimbledon in the Open era, Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain, became the third youngest. The age difference between the two was the largest in all men’s Slam finals since 1974.

So Alcaraz had the youth on his side, which of course he did when they met at the French Open last month. It was extraordinary for two sets before Alcaraz cramped and faded. This time he had the stamina and the strokes to pass Djokovic.

Alcaraz is faster and capable of more power – hitting speeds of 210 kilometers per hour, forehands up to 160 kilometers per hour – but Djokovic is equipped with a plethora of talents and so much muscle memory. He’s been there and done it, in ways Alcaraz can only dream of for now.

But if this victory on a windy and cloudy day at Center Court, where Djokovic last lost in the 2013 final, was any indication, Alcaraz is well on his way to achieving quite a bit himself.

Still, this is all relatively new to him: Djokovic’s record 35th Grand Slam final was Alcaraz’s second.

Still, it was Alcaraz who won a mini-masterpiece of 32 points and 25 minutes en route to the third set. And it was Alcaraz who moved forward for good by breaking to go 2-1 in the fifth with a backhand that passed the winner. Djokovic, who fell during the point but quickly resurfaced, responded by hitting his racquet against the net post and releasing it on impact. He destroyed his equipment and earned a code violation from chair umpire Fergus Murphy.

They would play for another 24 minutes, bringing the total to over 4 1/2 hours, but Alcaraz never gave in, never gave in. And it was Alcaraz, not Djokovic, who accepted the trophy in the evening.