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A14 SPORTS
Monday 17 July 2023

Alcaraz beats Djokovic in 5 sets to win Wimbledon for his second

major

By HOWARD FENDRICH his forehand was reduced.
AP Tennis Writer They would head to a tie-
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) breaker, Djokovic’s domin-
— Carlos Alcaraz said he ion: He had won all six such
wanted another shot at No- set-enders he played at
vak Djokovic. Said it would Wimbledon leading up to
make winning a Wimble- the final, and 15 straight in
don championship more Grand Slam action, dating
special. Well, Alcaraz got to the Australian Open.
his chance to face Djokov- This time, Djokovic had a
ic. And he beat him. set point while ahead 6-5
Alcaraz put aside a poor in the tiebreaker, sparking
start and surged down the the day’s first chants of his
stretch to end Djokovic’s two-syllable nickname from
34-match winning streak his backers: “No-le! No-le!”
at the All England Club But he put a backhand into
by edging him 1-6, 7-6 (6), the net to make it 6-all, and
6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in an engag- as the players switched
ing, back-and-forth final sides, a competing cho-
on Sunday, claiming his rus of “Car-los! Car-los!”
first title at Wimbledon and emerged.
second Grand Slam trophy Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz speaks after beating Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final on Another backhand into
overall. day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. the net from Djokovic put
The No. 1-ranked Alcaraz Associated Press Alcaraz within a point of
prevented No. 2 Djokovic ic. moved out front for good that, displaying as varied the set. He converted by
from collecting what would “You never like to lose by breaking to go up 2-1 in an all-court game as possi- striking a backhand pass-
have been a record-tying matches like this. I guess the fifth with a backhand ble, which is why stardom is ing winner off the return
eighth title, and fifth in a when all the emotions are passing winner. Djokovic, predicted of him. He does of a 118 mph serve, then
row, at the grass-court tour- settled, I have to still be who fell during the point everything well, including held the pose of his follow-
nament. Djokovic also was very grateful because I but quickly popped back well-disguised drop shots through. As people in the
kept from earning a 24th won many, many tight and up, reacted by slamming that helped him get back stands rose to roar, Alcaraz
career major. close matches in the past his racket into the net post, into the thick of it in the sec- spun around with his right
“Playing a final against a here,” said Djokovic, whose letting go on impact. He ond and third sets. hand to his ear, soaking in
legend of our sport — for last loss at Wimbledon was destroyed his equipment Djokovic, of course, al- the moment.
me, it’s incredible,” said in 2017. and earned a code viola- ready has achieved great- Two hours and two sets in.
Alcaraz, who was compet- “I lost to a better player,” tion from chair umpire Fer- ness, spending more weeks One set each.
ing in just his fourth career said Djokovic, who paused gus Murphy. at No. 1 than any man or Now it was a match.
event on grass. to wipe away tears, “so I They would play on for an- woman in the half-century Now this began to feel
“I have to congratulate have to congratulate him.” other 24 minutes, bringing history of the computerized memorable.
Novak. It’s amazing to play Alcaraz is faster and capa- the total to more than 4 1/2 rankings and accumulat- The fifth game of the third
against him. What can I ble of more power — serves hours, but Alcaraz never ing those 23 Grand Slam set might have been worth
say about him? It’s unbe- topping 130 mph, fore- relented, never gave way. triumphs — one more than the high price of admission,
lievable. You inspire me a hands topping 100 mph — And it was Alcaraz, not Rafael Nadal and three in and of itself. Neither man
lot. I started playing ten- but Djokovic is equipped Djokovic, who covered his more than Roger Federer, wanted to bend. Neither
nis watching you,” Alcaraz with an abundance of tal- face and rolled in the grass the only man with eight wanted to cede a thing.
said, then joked: “I mean, ents and so much muscle after the final point, then Wimbledon titles. It was one game, yes, but
since I was born, you al- memory. He’s been there, received the gold trophy. So often on Sunday, it felt far more meaningful
ready were winning tourna- and done that, in ways Al- “What quality in the end of Djokovic would hustle and than that.
ments.” caraz, for now, can only the match,” Djokovic told stretch and slide nearly into When Djokovic slapped a
That’s not exactly accurate. dream of. Alcaraz during the post- the splits to get Alcaraz’s forehand into net to give
Still, instead of Djokovic, a But if this victory on a windy match ceremony. “You de- apparent point-ending Alcaraz a break — one of
36-year-old from Serbia, and cloudy day at Centre serve it, absolutely.” shots back over the net in five in the match, more
becoming the oldest male Court, where Djokovic last Alcaraz possesses a sledge- ways no one else could. than the three combined
champion at Wimbledon lost in the 2013 final, was hammer of a forehand, Things began to shift, that Djokovic’s previous
in the Open era, Alcaraz, a any indication, Alcaraz is one he unleashes in such though, at 4-all in the sec- six opponents managed
20-year-old from Spain, be- on his way to achieving a manner as to make an ond set. Djokovic slipped across 103 service games
came the third-youngest. quite a bit himself. observer believe every on a worn patch behind over the past two weeks
The age gap between the Still, this is all relatively new ounce of strength, indeed the baseline under the — and a 4-1 edge in the
two was the widest in any to him: Djokovic’s record every fiber of his being, is Royal Box, flinging his rack- set, the Spaniard threw his
men’s Slam final since 1974. 35th Grand Slam final was invested in each swing. The et away as he fell. At the head back and screamed,
So Alcaraz had youth on Alcaraz’s second. smack of the racket, and next changeover, Djokovic “Vamos!”
his side, which he also did, Yet it was Alcaraz who won his “Uhhh-ehhh!” exhale of flexed one leg by bend- Djokovic headed to the
of course, when they met a 32-point, 25-minute mini- exertion — along with the ing it over the other. Before locker room with a white
at the French Open last masterpiece of a game gasps of impressed onlook- heading back on court to equipment bag slung over
month. That one was ex- on the way to taking the ers — reverberated around resume play, he plopped his right shoulder. . He’s
traordinary for two sets be- third set. It was Alcaraz who the arena on Sunday. his left heel on the net for used these sorts of intermis-
fore Alcaraz cramped up was not intimidated when That’s not to say, of course, additional stretching. Soon, sions to gather himself and
and faded. This time, he Djokovic forced things to a that Alcaraz’s attributes his legs were not providing shift momentum and, sure
had the stamina and the fifth set. end at that big forehand. quite the same coverage enough, he pushed this ter-
strokes to get past Djokov- And it was Alcaraz who He is so much more than they had been, the force of rific match to a fifth set. q