Alcaraz trumps Djokovic to win back-to-back titles at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz successfully completed a title defense at Wimbledon after beating former world number one Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

This year’s final was a repeat of last year’s, with both Djokovic and Alcaraz on the pitch, and just like last year, Alcaraz came out on top. The only difference this time around was that while the 21-year-old needed five sets to become champion last year, he only needed three this time around, winning the final round  6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4). 

Alcaraz is now a four-time grand slam champion and is now the second person in the Open Era, after Roger Federer, to win their first four grand slam appearances, and also the youngest to have four grand slam titles. Sunday’s win came just a few weeks after beating Alexander Zverev to win the title at Roland Garros. 

Speaking after the match, Alcaraz noted how it was a dream come true to win at Wimbledon, praising both the court and trophy: “Honestly, it is a dream for me to win this trophy. I did an interview when I was 11 or 12 and said my dream is to win Wimbledon. I’m fulfilling my dream. For me this is the most beautiful tournament, the most beautiful court and the most beautiful trophy.”

From the onset of the game, it was clear Alcaraz was going home with the trophy, as Djokovic was not able to keep up with his opponent’s game. The Serbian contributed to his woes with errors that helped Alcaraz win the first set. Alcaraz was even more dominant in the second set, as he broke Djokovic twice, while the other man could not help making errors. 

The third set offered Djokovic some relief that did not last long as Alcaraz was playing a far superior game. Although some errors were made in that set, it did not stop the Spaniard from finishing the set as the winner and claiming the title. 

After the game, Djokovic acknowledged that Alcaraz played a far better game than him: “The way I felt on the court today against him, I was inferior on the court. He was a better player. That’s it. He played every single shot better than I did. I don’t think I could’ve done much more…. He must’ve had a really good serving practice day yesterday. He really outplayed me…. He was better than me in every aspect of the game.”