Novak Djokovic lost at Wimbledon for the first time since Carlos Alcaraz was in his early teens (2018). He took defeat well and Alcaraz says he's in dreamland.
Generous in defeat
Quite a turnaround for 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. Battered 6-1 in the first set of the men's singles final by Novak Djokovic and saving a set point in the second set tiebreak before winning it and levelling the match at one set apiece. He claimed his first Wimbledon title after four hours and 42 minutes. It was 6-4 in the decider. "Credit to Carlos. Amazing poise in the important moments," said 36-year-old Djokovic. "For someone of his age to handle the nerves like this, be playing attacking tennis, and to close out the match the way he did ... I thought I returned very well that last game, but he was just coming up with some amazing, amazing shots."
I've seen that look before
Roger Federer is retired and Rafael Nadal is out injured. But it seems Novak Djokovic still cannot escape his enemies of yore. They have been reborn in the shape of Carlos Alcaraz. And worst still, the clone has elements of Djokovic himself. Ooh that's hydra-headed scary. "I think he's got basically best of all three worlds," said Djokovic. "He's got this mental resilience and real maturity for someone who is 20 years old. It's quite impressive. He's got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence that we've seen with Rafa over the years. And I think he's got some nice sliding backhands that he's got some similarities with my backhands. Yeah, two-handed backhands, defence, being able to adapt. I think that has been my personal strength for many years. He has it, too." And your Wimbledon title.
A point
The review winced at the start of the fifth set. Novak Djokovic was leading 1-0 and had a break point. He was running Carlos Alcaraz from side to side, surgical incision followed by laser cut and Djokovic was moving in - wondrous to behold but surely dispiriting for the player scurrying must know what is coming. And Djokovic was there at the net to swat away the desperate shot swirling in the air. That was my chance. That was my opportunity. That break point," said Djokovic. "I think I played a really good point, kind of set up that drive volley. The wind kind of took it to an awkward place where I couldn't hit the smash, I had to hit the drive volley kind of falling back. I saw him perfectly running to the opposite corner. I kind of wanted to wrong-foot him with that drive volley, and I missed." Ouch. It was a tough miss. "Obviously he made a break the next game, which was enough to hold the serve till the end." So are legends shorn.
Another day, another Brit
Neal Skupsi made the locals proud on Day 13 when he won the men's doubles with partner Wesley Koolhof. And on the final day of festivities at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, there was another bauble for the Brits. Henry Searle, aged 17, won the junior singles. Not bad at all. He beat the top seed Juan Carlos Prado Angelo in the first round and won his next tour matches to get to the final without dropping a set. In the showdown, he beat the fifth seed Yaroslav Demin - also in straight sets - to become the first British junior to win the boys' title at Wimbledon since 1962 when Stanley Matthews - son of the footballer - won the cup. I didn't really come into the tournament with too much of an outcome goal sort of thing," said Searle who reached the last eight in the juniors at the French Open. "I tried just to beat whoever my opponent was each match and see where that took me. It ended up being pretty special." Now onto beating that old man Carlos Alcaraz.
Family time
It was Pat Cash who started the whole climbing into the player's box after winning Wimbledon in 1987. Maketa Vondrousova did it on Day 13 after beating Ons Jabeur and Carlos Alcaraz made the ascent to hug his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and family following his five-set win over Novak Djokoivc which he said left him in dreamland. "I started playing tennis thanks to my dad," said Alcaraz. "He's a really huge fan of tennis ... he was watching tennis before I was born. It's crazy. His whole life, it's about tennis. I think for my family watching their kid making history, lifting the trophy, winning Wimbledon, is something incredible for them. For me to have them there, giving them a big hug, it's something that I will never forget. I hope to have a photo from that moment because I'm going to keep it forever." That is really sweet.
