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Although it is the rematch he has waited a year for, it was only until a few days ago that Novak Djokovic started to believe he could face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. When the 37-year-old underwent surgery on a torn medial meniscus in his right knee on 5 June, it was assumed that the seven-time champion would miss the tournament he places above all others. There were doubts, he admitted, but because it was Wimbledon, Djokovic did everything he could to make the start line. “I was not thinking about, particularly in the first couple of matches, of the eventual title match,” he said. And yet, here we go again.