Djokovic and Alcaraz are playing for the Wimbledon title
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic reaches Wimbledon final for the sixth consecutive year, facing Carlos Alcaraz again. Djokovic can set more records with a win in London.
The exciting repeat of the dream final at Wimbledon is perfect. Record Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic and title defender Carlos Alcaraz play each other for the second time in a row at the prestigious grass tournament for the coveted trophy.
Djokovic can win his eighth Wimbledon title and the 25th Grand Slam title on Sunday. With a 6:4, 7:6 (7:2), 6:4 victory against Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the 37-year-old qualified for his sixth consecutive final at the historic tennis tournament. "I don't want to stop here. I hope I can hold the trophy on Sunday," said Djokovic, who will compete in his 37th Grand Slam final: "It will take my best tennis to beat him."
French Open winner Alcaraz had previously advanced to the final after overcoming start difficulties with a 6:7 (1:7), 6:3, 6:4, 6:4 victory against Russian top player Daniil Medvedev. Twelve months ago, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in a high-class, thrilling final. Djokovic advanced with a brilliant performance against Musetti, who was considered unlikely to recover from his knee injury.
"Wimbledon has always been a childhood dream for me"
When he arrived eight days before the tournament start in London, he had doubts about whether he could even compete due to his meniscus tear at the French Open. With another win, Djokovic would surpass the Wimbledon record of Swiss Roger Federer and become the all-time record holder for Grand Slam titles in men's and women's tennis. "Wimbledon has always been a childhood dream for me," said the second-ranked player.
Against the young and fearless semifinal debutant Musetti, the oldest player in the remaining quartet saved three match points at 5:3 in the third set but then came back confidently. "It was a fun day," Alcaraz said after his semifinal victory, waving his arms on the podium as his parents kissed each other. The 21-year-old has reached his fourth Grand Slam final with an unblemished record. "I feel like I'm not new anymore. I know how I feel before the final," Alcaraz said: "I will try to do the things I did well last year and try to be better."
In the winner's interview, the young Spaniard then referred to the Euro 2020 football final between Spain and England on Sunday in Berlin. "It will be a good day for the Spaniards," said the third-ranked player and tried to calm down the grumbling crowd with a smirk: "I didn't say Spain would win. I just said it would be a fun day." Defeating Medvedev in the semifinal at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club could be a good omen for him, even if it was closer than last year at the same venue. "I'm really happy with my performance. I was very nervous at the start," Alcaraz said relieved. "All in all, I think I played a very good match."
The 15,000 spectators on fully packed Centre Court witnessed a weaker start from the Spanish exceptional player. After losing the first set, Alcaraz significantly raised his level and made things look easy in the rest of the match. "I tried to do different things. I tried not to have too many long rallies", he explained. The semifinalists offered a first set with four double faults and plenty of back-and-forth play. Alcaraz made more uncharacteristic easy errors. His first serve came rarely.
The atmosphere heated up briefly when Medvedev received a warning from Referee Eva Asderaki for unsportsmanlike conduct towards the end of the first set. The umpire called the supervisor as Medvedev apparently fled. Prior to this, the umpire had called the point due to the ball bouncing twice. "I didn't say anything too bad", Medvedev commented later. The US Open champion of 2021 didn't let himself be deterred from winning the first set. However, the match then took a turn.
Novak Djokovic's pursuit of tennis history continues, aiming to break the Grand Slam title record with a win in the Wimbledon final. In this sport-defining moment, Djokovic will go head-to-head with Carlos Alcaraz, the young Spanish sensation who defeated him last year.
