How Alcaraz denied Wimbledon favourite Djokovic a precipice of tennis supremacy

A few minutes after one of the biggest occasions of his career had plunged into a pit of despair Novak Djokovic was still processing how things had gone so badly wrong during Wimbledon final against Carlos AlcarazOn a pleasant Sunday afternoon Djokovic did what he tends to do in big games easing his way up through the revs refamiliarising himself with his grasscourt movements the extraordinary flex and twang on the baseline and the quick dashes to the netIn another corner as Alcaraz stood in the tunnel of Centre Court before the summit clash the last man standing in front of Djokovicrsquos historic 24th career major he was asked in his prematch interview whether the lsquoultimate showdownrsquo gave him butterflies He responded calmly and without hesitation ldquoIt was no time to be afraidrdquo Just hours earlier Djokovic had feigned mock tears and cupped his ear in response to proSinner supporters All love Its all love All love and acceptance he told reportersOver the following four hours and 42 minutes he simply was For the majority of his second Grand Slam final Alcaraz tyrannized Djokovic from the baseline erected a defensive wall on his half of the court and appeared to serve as if he was standing from a tree Buoyed by a rollicking crowd and a reinvigorated forehand Alcaraz thwarted Djokovicrsquos shot at immortality outplaying the 23time Grand Slam champion 16 766 61 36 64 to win his first Wimbledon titleHaving already pocketed the Australian Open and French Open in 2023 victory on Sunday would have put the 36yearold just one major away from completing the first mens calendar Grand Slam since 1969 But luck was not in his favourDjokovic gestures as he plays against Alcaraz during mens singles Wimbledon final Pic AFPAs the showdown began Djokovic looked out of sorts Although he led in the first game 16 Alcaraz quickly locked in drawing the Serb into long rallies and sweeping up early unforced errors as the latter tried to escape themAs the 20yearold marched through his own service games with ease Djokovic struggled After he dug himself out of a selfinflicted 02 deficit in the second game Djokovic held until the end of the set but his frequent serveandvolley attempts suggested a lack of confidence in baseline rallies with the SpaniardBut Alcaraz maintained his composure behind serve and eventually powered a rasping backhand return winner on his first set point to equalise the matchAlso Read Novak Djokovic after losing Wimbledon Some regretsI had my chancesThe Spaniard overcame a rapid start from Djokovic to lead the Serbian 16 766 61 In the third set Alcaraz proceeded to display his extensive shotmaking repertoire in the third set buoyed by his victory in the tiebreak He kept the pressure on Djokovic who made 18 unforced errors in an atypical third set performance with to his forehand power and some incredible deft touchesDespite his famed ability to recover from any deficit the 36yearold had faded this time Alcaraz calmly set about his business served out the set and broke serve to open the third set As Alcaraz locked down on the baseline punctuating his winning points with calm fists to the sky Djokovicrsquos legs looked increasingly heavy with every point He appeared to meekly give up the second break with a failed serveandvolley attemptAlcaraz broke Djokovic three times in the third set including in a remarkable 27minute game at 31 which featured 13 deuces to move ahead in a gripping championship match on Centre CourtIn the fourth set Djokovic was determined to win a recordbreaking 24th major and the Serbian upped his game once more in the fourth set of what was turning out to be an alltime great final on Centre Court After holding in the second game after recovering from 1540 he reverted to his rocksolid play from the first set broke Alcaraz twice to regain the initiative and set up a oneset shootout for the championshipAfter losing his serve three times in the previous set Djokovics service game improved which allowed him to reenter the game The Serbian thumping his thighs in anger won the set despite only hitting nine wins to Alcarazs fourteen saving both break points he was presented withAs the worldrsquos eyes rested on Djokovic Alcaraz crept in to win his first Wimbledon In the process he became just the fifth man in the Open Era to win multiple major titles prior to turning 21 after Mats Wilander Bjorn Borg Boris Becker and Rafael Nadal Before the tournament kicked off Alcaraz was clear about his intentions to ensure that Djokovic and no other player could add to their major tally Now he is a man of his wordAlcaraz reacts to winning a point against Djokovic Pic AFPHe prevented Djokovic from what would have been a recordtying eighth title and fifth in a row at the grasscourt tournament Instead of Djokovic a 36yearold from Serbia becoming the oldest male champion at Wimbledon in the Open era Alcaraz a 20yearold from Spain became the thirdyoungest The age gap between the two was the widest in any mens Slam final since 1974Djokovic fans may disagree but Alcaraz did seem to have the weapons to break down Djokovicrsquos supreme defenses and potentially go on outshining him Over time he has shown improvement on this very surface gaining far greater comfort with his movements and learning how his improved variety can thrive on the grass Having played the best grasscourt match of his life against Daniil Medvedev in the semis he headed into the final under ideal circumstancesAs for lsquoNolersquo this has still been an incredible year He became the first player in history to achieve the triple career Grand Slam in mens singles and win at least three majors on each of the three surfacesAs Alcaraz walked to the net to shake hands with Djokovic the young Spaniard allowed himself a little shake of the head But he was as ever gracious in victory while being greeted with genuine warmth by the more knowledgable regulars in the crowd before he bustled off for another dinner of his favourite glutenfree pasta lsquowith a cocoa cream called Ambrosiacutea that has olive oil and dates in itrsquo and the elixir of eternal sporting youth