In the 2023 Wimbledon final, Serbian player Novak Djokovic, aged 36, won his second Grand Slam title in less than a year, defeating seven-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling match with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, (6) 7-6, 1-6. Djokovic’s performance on Sunday was not only gutsy but also brilliant.
The game went on for four hours and 42 minutes and was the third-longest championship match in the history of Wimbledon.
“It’s truly incredible. If I were to lose, I would still be very proud of myself for making history in this beautiful tournament, playing against a legendary opponent in the final. But winning would be even greater. “It’s a true dream come true for me,” said Alcaraz on the court after the match.”
Alcaraz, at 20 years and 72 days old, became the third-youngest male champion at Wimbledon in the Open era (since 1968).
As per ESPN Stats & Information, here are the years and days of a few noteworthy players: in 1985, Boris Becker was 17 years and 227 days young; in 1986, he was 18 years and 226 days young; in 1976, Bjorn Borg was 20 years and 272 days young; and in 2023, Carlos Alcaraz will celebrate his 20th birthday after 72 days.
The village of El Palmar, located in Alcaraz, Spain, grew up as the center of youth, where hundreds of locals gathered to watch their favorite players make history.
Verónica Sánchez, the mayor of the town, expressed to ESPN, “The achievement of Carlos is a source of pride for the entire community of El Palmar.” Following Alcaraz’s victory in the semifinals, Sánchez took the initiative to arrange a viewing event. She declared, “He serves as a role model for the youth and is showcasing our town to the global audience.”
On Centre Court, one of the legendary grass-court players defeated Alcaraz with the skill – or determination – to claim the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy twelve months later. His display last year indicated notable progress, but there was no indication that he possessed the skills to overcome a legendary grass-court player or secure the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy in the following year. Despite being a fast learner on the surface and participating in only his fourth grass tournament, Alcaraz had previously failed to advance past the fourth round in his two previous appearances at the All England Club.
Djokovic’s game came alive suddenly as he focused on every point, but Alcaraz’s errors rushed into him and dismantled his game. Alcaraz’s forehand was clinical in the first set, as he won the final game of the set. Djokovic’s serve had been broken only three times by Alcaraz, who stormed back from a disastrous opening hour of tennis. Djokovic did better than Alcaraz, winning three sets in the Sunday match before the second set.
Alongside him, the spectators at Wimbledon savored the occasion, as he raised his racket towards the heavens after securing the 85-minute second set. Since Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals of last year’s French Open, he became the initial individual to defeat the 23-time Grand Slam champion in a tiebreak. On Centre Court, in the ultimate match, trailing by one set, at Wimbledon, he confronted him in a tiebreak after exchanging breaks with Djokovic in the second set.
In an impressive display of newfound nerves of steel and endurance, Djokovic eventually toppled the great Wimbledon and broke serve in the third game. Although he lost focus and the fourth set with a score of 3-6, he then won the fifth set, which helped shift Alcaraz’s momentum. The crowd at Centre Court chanted “Carlos! Carlos! Carlos!” As if he were the second coming of a basketball player in the sixth man position or a football player in the 12th man position.
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“I battled until the final ball, every single ball,” expressed Alcaraz in his post-match media briefing. “We had remarkable exchanges, outstanding points. It was an extensive match, lengthy sets, and it was the psychological aspect that enabled me to persist throughout the five sets. Sustaining both physical and mental resilience for five hours against a legendary opponent, who is creating history as I did today, constitutes the most joyous moment of my existence. I anticipate that this sentiment will endure for a considerable duration.”
He is a seven-time Wimbledon champion and has already won the first two majors of this year. Since 2017, Djokovic hadn’t lost a match here until this year’s fourth round, when he was upset by Roger Federer, a moment that is being compared to Pete Sampras’ upset of Federer in 2001 – a changing of the guard moment. What Alcaraz accomplished on Sunday is difficult to overstate. But there is a vast divide between doing and believing. Alcaraz said many times that he believed he could beat Djokovic in the final.
“He displayed remarkable shots to conclude the match in the manner he did, demonstrating an aggressive style of tennis and effectively managing his nerves, especially considering his young age,” stated Djokovic during his post-match press conference. Djokovic further commented, “The net play, the chipping returns, and the slices were all highly impressive.” He confidently affirmed, “Undoubtedly, he has proven himself as the top player globally and rightfully deserves his current position.” Djokovic also expressed his surprise, stating, “However, his exceptional performance on grass courts this year exceeded my expectations.”
In the quarterfinals of the 2006 French Open, Nadal, a fellow countryman of Alcaraz, became the youngest player to defeat Djokovic in a significant tournament. Following his victory, Alcaraz becomes the second youngest player to overcome Djokovic in a major event. Notably, Alcaraz outperformed Djokovic on the court where the latter had established his dominance. What is remarkable is that despite having only 17 grass-court matches under his belt, Alcaraz dashed Djokovic’s hopes of achieving all four major titles in the same year. Additionally, Djokovic was also on the path to accomplishing a calendar Grand Slam, which is an exceedingly rare feat.
He said he considers them to be wanted to emulate and grasp their style. He said he had been watching a video of Andy Murray, the former world No. 1 and eight-time Wimbledon champion. With improved confidence and footwork, he looked more uncertain and uncomfortable in the first round as he tried to decipher how to translate his grass game. After suffering a disappointing loss to Djokovic in the semifinal of Roland Garros, Alcaraz opted to play a grass-court warmup tournament at Queen’s Club in London.
After surrendering the No. 1 ranking to Djokovic following the French, he regained it by winning the Queen’s Club tournament, solidifying the belief that title was of greater significance.
On Sunday, he increased that score. He evaluated himself as an “eight out of 10”. He described his performance as “impressive” and delivered one of his finest matches not just on grass, but on any type of surface, following his victory against Daniil Medvedev. Alcaraz defeated three top-25 players, in addition to the second and third-ranked players worldwide, in a total of seven matches to claim the title. However, he did not have a straightforward path.
Alcaraz declared, “I will always remember this moment in other Grand Slams. I believe I will think differently about Novak after this epic match. Before this match, I never thought I couldn’t beat Novak.”
Alberto Ramón Siles made a contribution to this report.