Alcaraz vs Djokovic Wimbledon final is a heavyweight rematch
Wimbledon, England | Come Sunday, 37 days will have passed between the previous meeting of the Spaniard and the Serb.
What began with such promise in that French Open semifinal ended in dreary mundanity, with the 20-year-old, not the 36-year-old, succumbing to cramps that played a starring role in his four-set loss.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will meet in the Wimbledon men’s final. Getty Images, AP
Here’s what each has done in the interregnum:
The Serb, 36-year-old Novak Djokovic, continued on to win a 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open that placed him ahead of Rafael Nadal’s 22 and even further ahead of Roger Federer’s 20. Then he spent time in nature hiking with his wife, Jelena, staying clear of tennis and especially tennis on grass even if his mind drifted to preparing to play at the All England Club, where he will play for a record-tying eighth title Sunday.
When he arrived here, he moved through to that final while dropping just two sets — one to Hubert Hurkacz in the fourth round and another to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals — and by beating Italy’s Jannik Sinner on Friday in a dominant semifinal, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).
The Spaniard, 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, moved on from that disappointing loss to win his fifth title of the year in London, which tied him for first place with most trophies collected on tour in 2023. The victory came on grass, at Queen’s Club, which was just the third grass-court event of his career, after playing Wimbledon in 2021 and 2022.
When he arrived here, he reached his first Wimbledon final while dropping just two sets — one to Nicolas Jarry in the third round and another to Matteo Berrettini in the fourth round — and by beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the second
Read more on afr.com
