Carlos Alcaraz denies Novak Djokovic for his first Wimbledon title

Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first Wimbledon championship and his second Grand Slam title in the grandest way possible Sunday at the All England Club: by outrunning, outhitting and outlasting Novak Djokovic for a 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory that lasted 4 hours 42 minutes and was punishing even to his everlasting legs. He retained the world’s No. 1 ranking, cemented his status as tennis’s next great ruler in front of royalty and denied Djokovic from reaching one of the few summits he has left.

The Serb was bidding to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, match Roger Federer’s record of eight at Wimbledon and remain in the running to complete the first calendar-year Grand Slam by a man since Rod Laver in 1969. Instead, Alcaraz loosened the 36-year-old’s grip on the game ever so slightly.

Wimbledon highlights: Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic to win men’s title

There is no question that Djokovic’s 23rd Grand Slam title at the French Open last month made him the best of all time, but now he has not claimed five of the past eight Grand Slams. Two he could not contest at all because of his refusal to take the coronavirus vaccine. One, the 2021 U.S. Open, he lost in the final to Daniil Medvedev. Another, the 2022 French Open, he lost to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Now Alcaraz has dented him again.

“I thought [I’d] have trouble with you on clay and maybe hard court but not on grass,” Djokovic said afterward. “… Now it’s a different story.”

Alcaraz’s second Grand Slam title after last year’s U.S. Open is further proof that the game is in transition. He is the youngest Wimbledon champion since 18-year-old Boris Becker won — for the second straight year — in 1986 and the first man not named Andy Murray, Nadal, Federer or Djokovic to leave the All England Club with the trophy since 2002. Alcaraz was born two months before Federer won his first Wimbledon title in 2003.

“Well, I did it for myself, not for tennis generation, honestly,” said Alcaraz, the first to beat Djokovic on Centre Court since Murray in 2013. “It was great. Beating Novak at his best, in this stage … it’s something that I will never forget, that’s for sure. It’s great for the new generation as well, I think, to see me beating him and making…