Tennis - Princess Kate's Cup - Alcaraz triumphs at Wimbledon
Princess Kate presented Carlos Alcaraz with the Trophy and the Spaniard held the golden cup proudly aloft. With a fascinating performance, tennis prodigy Alcaraz triumphed at Wimbledon for the second time, shattering Novak Djokovic's hope of a historic record. In a one-sided rematch of last year's final, the overwhelming 21-year-old defeated the erratic Serb 6:2, 6:2, 7:6 (7:4).
"It's a dream for me to win this trophy. I've lived it again. As I said before, this is the most beautiful tournament, the most beautiful place, and the most beautiful trophy", said Alcaraz. Princess Kate congratulated him again later, before he presented himself to the fans on the balcony: "Enjoy your win."
Dominating Youngster
Alcaraz achieved the rare feat of securing a Grand Slam title on grass after his French Open victory in June. "Big champions have done it. I don't consider myself a champion as big as they are yet", he said, glancing at Djokovic or other greats like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. With his triumph, he emphasized that the young generation is getting stronger.
A year ago, Alcaraz lost to Djokovic in five sets in the Wimbledon final. This time, the Spaniard dominated the generational duel in the first two sets with the struggling Djokovic.
After 2 hours and 17 minutes, Alcaraz converted the fourth match point. He momentarily lost his composure when he dropped the first two points in the third set at 5:4 and faced three match points in a row. However, he regained control in the tiebreak and denied Djokovic revenge, ultimately distributing sweets to the crowd.
"Recognition for Carlos, he played perfect tennis today. I tried to make it more difficult. But he is a deserving champion", said the 37-year-old Djokovic. He was a bit disappointed immediately after the loss but, upon reflection, he would come to appreciate what he and his team had achieved. "I'm trying to remember how surreal it is to be here."
No 25th Grand Slam Title for Djokovic
Just 39 days after his knee surgery, the Serbian tennis star could have claimed his 25th Grand Slam title and set a new all-time record. However, the 37-year-old missed the opportunity to surpass Margaret Court, who amassed her 24 Grand Slam titles between 1960 and 1973. The Wimbledon men's record of eight titles remains with the retired Swiss Federer.
Alcaraz's Grand Slam titles now grace the roster alongside his US Open 2022, Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, and Roland Garros 2024. With four victories in his first four finals at the most significant tournaments in his sport, he follows in the footsteps of tennis icon Federer, who is the only one to have accomplished this in the Open Era. It was only when it came to his dance moves and the Champions Ball with women's champion Barbora Krejcikova that he had to admit weakness: "It could be better, I think." The Czech player had defended her title against Jasmine Paolini on Saturday, 6:2, 2:6, 6:4.
Princess Kate watches final
When Djokovic started serving at the last final day of this edition, Princess Kate had taken her seat in the Royal Box in a lavender dress. She was warmly applauded during an appearance some months after the announcement of her cancer diagnosis, alongside Princess Charlotte.
The atmosphere on the completely filled Centre Court was grand right from the start. The first game took over 13 minutes - and it could have been worse for Alcaraz. If Alcaraz had dropped the first set a dozen months ago, he took it from Djokovic easily this time. The advantage was immediately on Alcaraz's side. With a double fault, Djokovic gifted the second break to his young opponent for a 4:1 lead.
Impressive Alcaraz
The start was different than what the record-Grand-Slam-winner had imagined. Just like in the previous six rounds, a bandage protected his right knee. The meniscus injury he had sustained in Paris had not kept him from the title contention.
The second set began like the first - with a break from the Spanish third-ranked player in the world. Impressive with unreachable stop balls, direct point wins from the baseline or passing shots, Alcaraz left the 15,000 spectators speechless. The spectacular points were mostly from the youngster. Djokovic had not had his best day and made uncharacteristic mistakes in crucial moments. A volley error initiated the next break, followed by another double fault for 2:5. After 75 minutes, Alcaraz led 2:0 sets.
In the third set, Djokovic raised his game. It was an evenly matched final. As the decisive phase approached, Alcaraz pulled ahead once more. With a backhand passing shot, he secured the break, but had to go into a tiebreak.
- Duchess Catherine expressed her congratulations to Carlos Alcaraz, acknowledging his impressive performance at Wimbledon.
- Despite Alcaraz's triumph, Novak Djokovic acknowledged his opponent's skill, admitting that he tried to make the match more challenging.
- In the endgame, Alcaraz showed resilience, regaining control after facing three match points in the third set.
- The victory at Wimbledon added another Grand Slam title to Alcaraz's roster, following his success at Roland Garros and the US Open.
- Roger Federer remains the only tennis icon to have accomplished four victories in his first four finals at major tournaments, a record Alcaraz is now drawing close to.
- The final day of Wimbledon saw a filled Centre Court, with Princess Kate watching from the Royal Box in a lavender dress.
- Djokovic, despite his knee surgery and missed opportunity to surpass Margaret Court's record, demonstrated resilience and determination throughout the tournament.
- Despite Alcaraz's impressive performance and Djokovic's struggles, the atmosphere on Centre Court remained grand, showcasing the enduring passion for tennis in the United Kingdom.
