Carlos Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon title after defeating reigning champion Novak Djokovic, ending his 34-match winning streak at the All-England Club, on Sunday in a thrilling five-set men’s final.
Alcaraz came out victorious after almost five hours on Centre Court, winning 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 3-6 6-4. The excited Spaniard fell onto the grass before sending a tennis ball into the crowd of fans.
20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz is now the third-youngest Wimbledon champion in the Open Era. The Wimbledon title is his second major after winning the US Open last year.
For 36-year-old Djokovic, the age gap between the two players was the widest in any men’s Slam final since 1974.
Alcaraz stopped Djokovic from leveling Margaret Court for the most grand slam singles titles of all time and Roger Federer at eight for the most Wimbledon men’s singles titles.
Alcaraz’s extraordinary display of athleticism and skill in defeating incumbent Djokovic gives him a stand as one of the greatest tennis players in history still in his prime. And with his new Wimbledon championship title, he’s now the leader of men’s tennis’ next generation.
The youthful Alcaraz was faster and delivered serves topping 130 mph, forehands topping 100 mph — but Djokovic amassed talents and so much muscle memory. His wealth of experience is a future reality for Alcaraz.
“Well, it’s a dream come true for me,” Alcaraz said in an interview after the game. “For me, it’s incredible. As I said, it’s a dream come true to be able to play in this stages, it’s amazing for a boy 20 years old, I didn’t expect to reach these kind of situations really fast.
“I’m really proud of myself and really proud of the team that I have. The work we put in every day to be able to live this experience.”
It was emotional for the former champion Djokovic who has held the title seven times. He congratulated Alcaraz and to his family, he said, “I love you”…“Thank you for supporting me”.
