LONDON — A beaming Carlos Alcaraz described Wimbledon as a “dream come true” after he beat Novak Djokovic in a gripping five-set final.
The 20-year-old Spaniard, who became the third-youngest man to win the title after Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg, said he never expected to win the title so soon in his career. “It’s a dream come true for me,” Alcaraz said, after a 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory that took almost five hours.
“It’s great to win but even if I had lost I would have been really proud of myself for this amazing run, making history, playing in the final of this amazing tournament against a legend of our sport, it’s amazing, a dream come true.
“For a boy of 20 years old, I didn’t expect to reach this stage so fast. I’m very proud of myself and my team. I am falling in love with grass right now.”
“I’ve won some epic finals that I was close to losing so it’s fair and square,” Djokovic, who saved match points when beating Roger Federer in 2019, said according to Reuters.
“Credit to Carlos, he showed amazing poise in the crucial moments to play attacking tennis and close out the match the way he did. Some regrets, I had my chances, but credit to him,” the 36-year-old Serbian added.
“I’ve never played a player like him ever. He is a very complete player and proved he is the best player in the world.”
If further proof were required that Alcaraz is the future, it was provided in spades during a riveting roller coaster of a final played out in front of a transfixed Centre Court crowd that regularly broke out into chants of “Carlos Carlos”.
The bull-like Spaniard, playing only his second Grand Slam final compared to Djokovic’s record 35, might have folded after being schooled by the master in a 34-minute opening set.
Instead he shrugged that off, plugged into the crackling energy inside the old arena and seized control with the sort of spellbinding shot-making and clear thinking that might have had Djokovic feeling as if was playing against a mirror of himself.
Djokovic, bidding to match Federer’s record eight men’s singles titles and move level with Margaret Court’s all-time Grand Slam haul, may reflect on the backhand he netted when he had a point for a two-set lead in a tense tiebreak at the end of an 85-minute second set of stunning quality.
When Alcaraz then broke Djokovic’s serve in a leg-sapping 26-minute duel on his way to taking the third set and threatened to break early in the fourth he was in total control.
Djokovic, hanging on desperately to his unblemished 10-year record on the world’s most iconic lawn and seeking a fifth straight title, was not done though and turned up the dial to drag the contest into the fifth-set decider it deserved.
Few would have bet against him at that point, after all in the previous 77 matches at Wimbledon in which he won the opening set, he had gone on to win.
But the match swung in two crucial games.
At 1-1, Djokovic had a break point and sent Alcaraz to all corners of the court, only to thump a high volley into the net — a shot made trickier by a gusty wind.
One game later, he was thumping his racket into the wooden net post after Alcaraz drove a backhand winner past him to snatch what would be the decisive break of the match.
Djokovic duly earned a second warning of the match, after an earlier one for taking too long to serve, and was perhaps lucky the chunks of his disintegrated frame did not fly into the crowd.
The only question then was whether Alcaraz could hold steady and grab the title. Djokovic dug deep to at least force the top seed to serve for the match and he betrayed no nerves.
A sublime lob was followed by a stretching volley winner and he brought up match point with a first serve before a hefty forehand ushered in a new Wimbledon era.
Following is reaction to Alcaraz winning his second Grand Slam title:
NOVAK DJOKOVIC, 23-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION
“I have to start with praise to Carlos and his team. What quality at the end of the match when you had to serve it out. You came up with some big plays in the big situation and you absolutely deserve it. Amazing.”
AUSTRALIAN TENNIS GREAT ROD LAVER
“Congratulations on your first Wimbledon crown Carlos Alcaraz.
“You certainly found your feet on grass this summer, an astonishing achievement against one of the greatest champions ever, Novak Djokovic. I’m sure there will be many more magnificent battles between you two.”
RAFA NADAL, 22-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION
“You have given us immense joy today and I am sure that our pioneer in Spanish tennis, Manolo Santana, has also been cheering wherever he is…”
PAM SHRIVER, FORMER WORLD NUMBER THREE
“Can’t imagine being 20 years young, winning an extraordinary almost 5 hour final, and speak in your second language in front of royalty, 15,000 and a world wide TV and doing it with such maturity and humor.”
PEDRO SANCHEZ, PRIME MINISTER OF SPAIN
Huge Carlos Alcaraz! Wimbledon champion in a final that will go down in history. Congratulations!!
SPANISH FORMER WIMBLEDON CHAMPION GARBINE MUGURUZA
Enjoy this moment. Wimbledon is something very special!!
REAL MADRID
Congratulations on your brilliant victory at Wimbledon, @carlosalcaraz. And congratulations on maintaining top spot in the world tennis rankings. You are a source of pride for Spanish sport and all of the madridistas.
FORMER WORLD NUMBER ONE VICTORIA AZARENKA
Too good from Alcaraz, too good. What a match!
SPANISH FORMULA ONE DRIVER CARLOS SAINZ
Amazing. Congratulations, we are proud of you!
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