Carlos Alcaraz’s Wimbledon Win Marks a New Era in Tennis

Image Credit: Paris 2024
Carlos Alcaraz has triumphed in the Wimbledon final, overcoming Novak Djokovic in a spectacular display of skill and determination. This win adds another feather to Alcaraz’s cap as he continues to rise in the world of tennis.
For Novak Djokovic, the opportunity to lift the Wimbledon trophy just five weeks after undergoing knee surgery was a tantalizing prospect. Despite his valiant effort, Djokovic fell short against the inspired form of Alcaraz, who delivered a performance that will be remembered for years. Djokovic’s journey to the final was marked by dominance, dropping only two sets in six rounds. His semi-final victory over Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti showcased his near-peak form, making his defeat in the final all the more surprising.
Tennis, much like any dialogue, requires a worthy partner to shine, and Alcaraz proved to be just that. Unlike Musetti, who allowed Djokovic the space to dominate, Alcaraz took control with an array of unforgettable shots. He hit 42 clean winners compared to Djokovic’s 26, clinching nearly 40% of his points with unanswerable brilliance.
“He played every single shot better than I did,” Djokovic admitted after his 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 defeat. “He just was better than me in every aspect of the game: in movement, in the way he was striking the ball beautifully, serving great, everything.”
Djokovic acknowledged that his recent knee surgery likely affected his performance, particularly in the early rounds of the tournament. “That probably had an effect, particularly in the opening rounds. As the tournament progressed, I felt better and better. But yeah, today I was half a step behind him.”
Djokovic’s usual explosiveness was noticeably absent, especially in the early stages of the match. Typically, Djokovic slides into his shots at the corners, splaying his legs wide and pushing off his outside foot to recover. However, he seemed reluctant to risk his surgically-repaired right knee, encased in a compression sleeve, by assuming his trademark near-splits position.
Instead, Djokovic attempted to shorten points and move to the net, a strategy that had worked well against Musetti. But Alcaraz, a superior player, repeatedly outmaneuvered him with a variety of passing shots.
The match began with a remarkable 14-minute opening game, setting the tone for what many expected to be a marathon encounter. Alcaraz broke Djokovic’s serve on his fifth opportunity, but Djokovic struggled to maintain his intensity. If Alcaraz had closed out a 5-4, 40-0 lead in the third set, Djokovic would have been eliminated in just over two hours.
However, Alcaraz’s nerves showed as he squandered seven successive points with unforced errors. Impressively, he quickly regained his composure, thanks to his all-court dominance. As long as he continued playing his natural game, Alcaraz remained confident of victory.
This confidence paid off in the tie-break, which Alcaraz won with a stunning drop shot. The match concluded after two hours and 27 minutes, with the crowd buzzing from the extra drama provided by Djokovic’s brief reprieve.
With this victory, Alcaraz became only the sixth man in the Open era to achieve the Channel double – winning both the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. He joins a prestigious list of tennis royalty that includes Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Borg, and Laver.
“It is a huge honour for me to be a part of those players,” Alcaraz said during the presentation ceremony. “I’m really happy to be at the same table as Novak to do it. Huge champions. I don’t consider myself a champion yet. Not like them. I try to keep going and building my path, my journey.”
Alcaraz also became the second man in the Open era, after Federer, to win his first four major finals. His rapid improvement continues to dazzle his rivals. Djokovic, clearly shocked by the quality of Alcaraz’s serve, remarked, “Maybe I was missing something this tournament, but I’ve never seen him serve that fast.”
As Djokovic prepares for the Olympic Games in two weeks, he reflects on a campaign that nearly saw him achieve the impossible. Despite his efforts, he recognizes that there is still work to be done to compete with the best.
“In a match-up today against the best player in the world – I mean, other than Jannik [Sinner], and both of them are the best this year by far – I feel like I’m not at that level. In order to really have a chance to beat these guys in grand-slam latter stages or Olympics, I’m going to have to play much better than I did today, and feel much better than I did today.”
Alcaraz’s victory is not just a testament to his skill but also to his resilience and dedication. His journey continues to inspire fans and fellow athletes, showcasing that with hard work and determination, greatness is within reach.
As reported by the The Telegraph in their recent article