Carlos Alcaraz reacts after defeating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon men's final at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Sunday in London. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Last year, Carlos Alcaraz dethroned Novak Djokovic to win his first Wimbledon title.
In a rematch of last year's epic five-setter, Alcaraz fully ascended the throne on Sunday. He defeated Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) to win his second straight Wimbledon title. This is just the fifth time in Djokovic's career that he's been beaten in straight sets in a final.
At the start, and throughout the first 2 1/2 sets, Djokovic was in trouble. He came out flat and played incredibly tight. He just didn't look like himself. And Alcaraz, who is typically a slow starter, came roaring out of the gate, putting Djokovic in a 2-0 hole before most fans had settled in. No one was expecting the legend to begin so quietly or look overmatched so quickly.
Every point was another opportunity to see if Djokovic would wake up and realize, "hey, I'm in the Wimbledon final," and every time, fans were disappointed. If he was improving, it was not possible to see with the naked eye. And Alcaraz had no mercy. He was there to win, and with Djokovic mostly scoring points off Alcaraz's errors, he had reason to feel confident.
Djokovic dropped the first set 6-2, and the second set went in much the same manner. Without a serious turnaround, he was toast.
The third set is when Djokovic finally showed signs of life. He actually won the first game, and forced Alcaraz to start keeping up with him. But the awakening came just a little to late, because Alcaraz was more than able to keep up with Djokovic, who was attempting to become the oldest man to ever win Wimbledon at age 37.
Djokovic was able to force a tiebreak and give himself the opportunity to extend the match, but he couldn't bring it home. He looked frustrated that his shots weren't doing what they usually do, but he mostly looked tired. Even at the start of the tiebreak, it felt like we were just biding time until Alcaraz won.
Astounding Alcaraz 🤩
The Spaniard defends his #Wimbledon title with a stunning straight sets victory over Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/bEbT9HwMZh
Djokovic's main opponent over the past few years has been Father Time. He's been playing an invisible match against his own tennis mortality, and until recently, he's been winning hands down. His torn meniscus at the French Open was a hitch, but that hadn't appeared to affect him during the tournament (or during the final on Sunday).
But maybe for the first time in his lengthy career, Djokovic was faced on Sunday with an opponent he simply couldn't overcome. Alcaraz was too quick with his feet, too strong with his shots, and too fast on the court. Even if Djokovic had forced a fourth set, it didn't appear he had the stamina to bend the match to his will. But Alcaraz, 16 years Djokovic's junior, had the stamina and the energy to play another two sets with a tiebreaker on each one.
This is the fourth Grand Slam title of Alcaraz's young career, and half have been won on grass — despite Wimbledon 2024 being just the sixth grass court tournament he's ever played.
In a few years, it's possible we look back on this match as the moment when one era ended and another began; when Alcaraz beat one of the greatest tennis players in history for the second straight year and started his reign. But for now, we're left with questions. What was behind Djokovic's performance on Sunday? Was he hurt? Will this impact his appearance at the Olympics?
There is no question about Carlos Alcaraz, though. He is the future of tennis, and the future is here.
Alcaraz does it! He conquers Djokovic in straight sets to claim his second straight Wimbledon title
Liz Roscher
Tiebreak time!
We're headed to a third-set tiebreak!
Alcaraz can win it all if he wins this tiebreak. If Djokovic wins, he forces a fourth set.
Liz Roscher
Less than five minutes ago, Carlos Alcaraz was one point away from winning his second straight Wimbledon trophy.
Now he's trying to prevent Novak Djokovic from winning the third set and forcing a fourth.
That's tennis.
Liz Roscher
Alcaraz had three championship points, at one point was up 30-love, but he double faulted to give Djokovic the advantage and then the win.
They are now tied 5-5 in the third set, and Alcaraz is visibly annoyed he couldn't finish it up in that game.
Liz Roscher
We're really seeing the fight from Djokovic. The crowd is chanting his name, because they don't want the match to end after just three sets. Djokovic capturing his form is the only way we'll get more tennis.
Liz Roscher
Djokovic is waking up...
He's got a 3-2 lead over Alcaraz in the third set. Can Alcaraz seal the deal, or will Djokovic play spoiler?
Liz Roscher
Alcaraz giveth, and Alcaraz taketh away. After going down 2-1, Alcaraz tied it right back up with a quick, no-nonsense game over Djokovic.
Liz Roscher
In the third game of the third set, Djokovic is fighting to get his first lead of the entire championship match, while Alcaraz just wants to keep cruising.
It's playing out much like the very first game of the match, with a lot of back and forth.
This time, Djokovic wins and takes a 2-1 lead in the third set. Could this be the turning point? Or will Alcaraz redouble his efforts and keep handling Djokovic with relative ease?
Liz Roscher
Carlos Alcaraz takes 2-0 lead over Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz is just one set away from defending his 2023 Wimbledon title. He won the second set 6-2, and victory is in sight.
Liz Roscher
That was the best game Djokovic has played all day. He's still down 3-2, but we saw flashes of the real Djokovic in there, trying to figure out how to wake up.
Liz Roscher
Alcaraz has taken a 2-0 lead in the second set after winning a game in which he double faulted twice. He's got all the magic today.
Liz Roscher
Carlos Alcaraz stakes a 1-0 lead
After that lengthy 14-minute first game, Alcaraz cruised through the rest of the set, winning 6-2, and now has a 1-0 lead.
This is familiar territory for Djokovic. He's done this before, in quarterfinals and semifinals and finals. He did it against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 French Open final.
But maybe there's more to this poor Djokovic start than meets the eye. Alcaraz isn't usually such a fast starter, and seeing him jump on Djokovic so easily could mean that Djokovic truly is off his game today, and isn't just playing possum.
Liz Roscher
Celebrity Update: We've got a Benedict Cumberbatch sighting. He's wearing normal clothes and unfortunately isn't dressed as Dr. Strange. That would certainly shake up the Wimbledon dress code.
Djokovic is on the board, but he's not playing like Djokovic yet. He's down two breaks at 4-1 and is looking pretty tight while Alcaraz has been punishing, playing loose and free and with minimal frustration.
But we've seen this from Djokovic many, many times before. He'll put up a bad first set and then come roaring back in the second or even third set, looking like the king in his prime who was just slightly late to the party.
Alcaraz has the lead, but there's a lot of match left. Anything could happen.
Liz Roscher
After a first game that lasted the better part of 15 minutes, Carlos Alcaraz broke Novak Djokovic to take a 1-0 lead in the first set.
The first game of the entire match — which could last up to five sets and an undetermined amount of time — has lasted nearly 10 minutes. Strap in and get your snacks and Wimbledon drink of choice, because this could be one for the ages.
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