Alcaraz scrambles Djokovic and triumphs at Wimbledon

It was supposed to be Novak Djokovic's rematch, after the epic final he lost last year in the fifth set in almost five hours of battle, but instead it was the triumph of Carlos Alcaraz who, at 21 years of age, wins decisively at Wimbledon a month after his success at Roland Garros (in which he beat Alexander Zverev). The score is eloquent: 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 in two and a half hours. It is the fourth Slam of a career as young as it is prodigious, conquered under the eyes of Princess Kate Middleton, in purple in the Royal box with her daughter Charlotte, and tennis legends such as Agassi and Edberg.

For Djokovic, 37 (as 37 are the Slam finals he has reached) it would have been his eighth title on English grass (he would have equalled Federer) and 25th major.

But today the Spaniard's dominance in the first two sets was resounding and absolute. Then, in the third set, Nole's pride prevented him from surrendering: he held out until 4-all before dropping his service game, and at 5-4 with Alcaraz serving, he cancelled three match points to make it 5-all, but at the tiebreak his opponent gave him no chance, prevailing 7-4. Carlos' physical exuberance, acceleration, variety of play - excellent in all the fundamentals - and precision left little room for the Serb (who only a month ago, it must be said, was undergoing meniscus surgery after his injury in Paris). Even the blanks that Alcaraz occasionally shows and that make him run considerable risks - as here in the third round with Francis Tiafoe, who had come within two points of victory - were scarcely seen today. An exceptional match in which the world number 3 expressed all his talent. At his age, only Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Mats Wilander had managed to win four Slams.

"For me it is a dream to win this trophy again. When I was 11 years old I said that I dreamed of winning here and it is a great feeling. It's the most beautiful tournament, on the most beautiful court and it's the most beautiful trophy,' were the first words of an emotional Alcaraz during the award ceremony. And when asked about the three missed match points, he remarked that "Djokovic is a crazy fighter, he stayed there and I knew he would have his chances. I tried to stay calm and play my best tennis in the tiebreak. In the end I managed to find the solutions, playing great". He did not miss a comment on the Spain-England final of the European Championships: "We will definitely see the match with my team... I did my job. It will be a very tough match and we will see who wins,' he concluded. Nole also appeared emotional after his tenth final on the English grass: he thanked his children, saying that every time he sees them up there he gets emotional, that 'Wimbledon is my dream, every time I enter the centre court, even if it has happened so many times, it's always as if it was the first time: I come back the child I was and chasing that dream'. Both on the court and later in the press conference, he paid tribute to Alcaraz, acknowledging her superiority from all points of view: the way she moved, her ball speed, her serve. Looking ahead to the Olympics, which start on 27 July on the clay of Roland Garros, "to beat the best players in the world right now, Alcaraz and Sinner, I will have to play much better than I did today," Djokovic concluded.

At the press conference, Carlos shied away from celebrations for the four Slams: 'Honestly, I try not to think too much about it. Obviously it's a great start to my career but I have to move on and continue building my path'. The Spaniard spoke about the new generation that sees him starring alongside Jannik Sinner, world number one: "I think being there with Jannik, at the top of the rankings, and winning Slams is good for tennis. As I have said many times, there is a good rivalry between us, young players who are emerging and struggling. I think it's great for the sport, for tennis and also for the players".