Carlos Alcaraz, age 20, won his first Wimbledon title by playing like Novak Djokovic, with courageous defending, awesome transition to offense, clever tactics, stellar front-court play, clutch serving and composure under pressure.
It was a phenomenal performance in one of the most dramatic finals ever at Wimbledon. Either player could have won it. Alcaraz won only two more points (168 to 166) than Djokovic, who blew chances to take commanding leads several times.
This doesn’t mean Djokovic will never beat Alcaraz again, or that he’s “passing the torch” to Carlos and the new generation. Coming into the Wimbledon final, Novak had won 27 of his last 28 matches in majors, including his destruction of Alcaraz and Casper Ruud at Roland Garros a month earlier.
In the Wimbledon final, Djokovic won the first five games to take the first set 6-1 in 34 minutes. He ruthlessly exploited the weaker forehand corner of Alcaraz, who prefers crushing forehands from mid-baseline or his backhand corner. Novak kept pushing Alcaraz backward instead of letting his come forward. Novak also hugged the baseline, taking the ball early, shrinking the court, and taking away the Carlitos dropshot, one of his preferred weapons. Djokovic also slowed down the pace of play to test the patience of the younger man and make him feel the weight of the occasion.
But Alcaraz didn’t crumble. He told himself to “increase the level”, and he did. In the fantastic 85-minute second set, Djokovic had set point at 6-5 in the tiebreaker. He was one point from a commanding two set lead. But Djokovic shanked two backhands into the net. Then he didn’t dive to reach Carlos’ backhand passing shot return of serve to win the second set.
Djokovic seemed wounded from a nasty slip at 4-games all in the second set. He did not serve well after that. He notched only two aces, after averaging 11 in previous rounds. He also made a critical tactical mistake by letting Carlos come forward to show off his extraordinary agility and touch at net. Djokovic also let Carlos feed on speed and defend like Bjorn Borg. Carlos repeatedly forced Djokovic to do what Djokovic does to other players: hit the extra ball.
Alcaraz got stronger as the match wore on. He rarely missed putting away anything short. He also played wisely and cautiously when Djokovic lost concentration in the third set and sprayed errors from both sides.
Alcaraz, who struck 9 aces on Sunday, won the third set after breaking Djokovic in an epic 27-minute game with 13 deuces. Refusing to surrender, Djokovic dug deep to win the fourth set 6-3.
In the fifth set, Djokovic was on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead. But he hit a mid-court swing volley into the highest part of the net instead of opting for an overhead or letting the ball bounce. Carlos held serve. Then, on break point, Alcaraz ripped a backhand passing shot to go up 2-1. A furious Djokovic smashed his racquet against the wooden net post.
In the biggest moment of his career, Alcaraz maintained steady focus and what Rafa Nadal calls “correct determination” toward the finish line. Carlos hit 18 winners in the fifth set to 3 from Novak, and Carlos made all 6 first serves in the final game. He had enough firepower and composure down the stretch to win 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
“Even if I lost, I could be very proud of myself. It’s a dream come true,” said Alcaraz, an amiable Spaniard from the Murcia region whose English has improved over the past year. “I’m really proud of myself and the team that I have for the work we put in every day. I fall in love with grass right now. I didn’t expect to play at this level in a short period.”
He also praised Djokovic. “You inspired me a lot. I started playing tennis watching you. Since I was born, you were already winning each tournament. You are probably in better shape than me. You said 36 is the new 26. You made that happen in real.”
And then King Carlos I of Spain thanked King Felipe VI of Spain. “I played in front of you just twice. Twice that I won. I hope you are coming more.”
Djokovic praised Alcaraz’s maturity and determination. “When you had to serve it out, you came out with some big serves and big plays. You absolutely deserve it,” he said.
“I thought I would only have trouble with you on clay and on hard courts but not on grass. Congratulations to adapting on grass,” said Djokovic, who was hoping for his 24th slam and 8th Wimbledon title. “As for me, you never like to lose matches like this. But when all the emotions are settled, I have to still be grateful because I won many many tight and close matches … this is even Steven. I will be (proud) tomorrow morning. Today not so much. I’ve been blessed with so many wonderful matches throughout my career. But today I lost to a better player.” He then teared up after seeing his son smiling at him.
In the post-match presser, Djokovic called Alcaraz a mature and complete player with “the best of all 3 worlds (Roger, Rafa, Novak).” He defends and fights with a “Spanish bull mentality” like Rafa, and slides into a two-hand backhand like me, Djokovic said. “He’s able to adapt, which has been my personal strength” and key for longevity and success.
Djokovic still has more longevity and success within his reach. Even though he played erratically much of the match, he still had commanding leads on his racquet in the second and fifth sets. He lost on a windy day when Carlos played the match of his life.
Alcaraz probably won’t end up like Lleyton Hewitt, who never won a slam after beating Pete Sampras in the 2001 US Open final and David Nalbandian in the 2002 Wimbledon final, or like 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, who eventually succumbed to injuries. Alcaraz still has room to improve, and he seems hungry to break Djokovic’s records while ushering him into retirement.
But Djokovic doesn’t seem ready to pass his torch to anyone. Before the windy Sunday at Wimbledon, he was playing some of his best tennis, and he probably thinks he should have won his 5th consecutive Wimbledon title. While Sunday’s outcome may not be the long-awaited “changing of the guard”, many fans hope it’s the start of a new rivalry between the best of two generations.
words and images copyright Christopher Johnson Globalite Media all rights reserved
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