Djokovic, Alcaraz Set Up Winner-Takes-All Wimbledon Final

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (photo: Wimbledon video)

WIMBLEDON/WASHINGTON, July 15, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)

Novak Djokovic doesn’t lose often at the All England Club, home of the Wimbledon Championships. In fact, he has won 34 straight singles matches dating back to the start of the 2018 grass-court major. Since then, Djokovic has won four straight Gentlemen’s Singles titles (2018-19 and 2021-22; the 2020 Wimbledon Championships were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic) – seven Wimbledon titles overall – and he’s one win away from winning his fifth straight title at SW19.

If the No. 2 Djokovic successful is in defeating World No. 1 and top seed Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, not only would it give him a record-extending 24th major title, it would tie him with Roger Federer for eight Wimbledon singles titles – plus, it would elevate him back to No. 1.

On Friday, Djokovic did his part in the first semifinal by defeating No. 8 seed Jannik Sinner, 15 years his junior, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in two hours and 47 minutes with the roof closed due to all-day rain showers to reach his 35th career major fina. The 36-year-old Djokovic from Serbia and Sinner, 21, of Italy, provided the largest age gap between two men’s semifinalists in the Open Era. However, the final outcome moved Djokovic into his ninth Wimbledon final and spoiled Sinner’s first Wimbledon semifinal experience.

“I’d like to believe [I’m playing the best tennis of my life]. I try not to look at age as a factor or a hindrance,” Djokovic said. “Thirty-six is the new 26.”

Should Djokovic beat Alcaraz, it would make him the oldest men’s champion at Wimbledon in the Open Era (since 1968), eclipsing Roger Federer, who won the 2017 title at age 35.

“The third set could have gone his way,” said Djokovic, who fired 11 aces, won 75 percent (49 of 65) of his first-serve points and struck 33 winners. “It was really, really just a lot of pressure.”

Djokovic added: “I think I found the right shots at the right time. Serve was kind of going up and down, but I managed to make him play always an extra shot, especially toward the end of the match.

“Yeah, he basically made some unforced errors to give me the victory in the tiebreak. Also, he was two set points up in the third. But that’s tennis, obviously. That pressure point moments, it’s not easy to play the shots you desire.

“So, it was, of course, great for me that I was able to finish the job in straight sets.”

Although Sinner hit 44 winners against Djokovic, he also committed 35 unforced errors and was outpointed 106-96. Djokovic, who needed five sets to beat Sinner in last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinals, was nearly unstoppable on Friday.

“He played a very good match,” said Sinner in his post-match press conference. “I obviously tried my best. I felt like I had some chances. I couldn’t use them. It was tough.

“But I felt actually not, yeah, good on the court. It’s for sure a tough day, but I’m going to learn about this and hopefully I can improve.”

Meanwhile, in the second semifinal, Alcaraz breezed to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, winning 17 of 20 points when he serve-and-volleyed, during one hour and 50-minute match. The victory advanced the young Spaniard to his first grass-court major final and his second Grand Slam final overall, after winning last year’s US Open.

“Well, yeah, [I] played great today,” said Alcaraz, 20, who has won 11 straight matches on grass, which includes winning an ATP 500 tune-up event at Queen’s Club last month. “I thought a really good level, tennis level and tactical level as well. [It] was one of my best matches on grass right now. Really, really happy to get through to the final.”

Medvedev took his semifinal setback in stride. He said: “I didn’t play terrible in this semi but you need to be your absolute best against Carlos. If I’m in the semi, I want to win it, play Novak on Sunday, hold the trophy. But it’s my best Wimbledon so far. I was one of the four best players in the tournament.”

Looking ahead to Sunday, Alcaraz said of Djokovic: “What can I say? Everybody knows the legend he is. It’s going to be really, really difficult [to win]. But I will fight. … I will believe in myself, I will believe that I can beat him here.”

Never say never with Alcaraz, who has won 46 of the 50 matches he’s played this season. However, there’s no denying this: No one has been able to beat Djokovic at Wimbledon since 2017 – the last one was Tomas Berdych, who won by retirement in the quarterfinals – and no one has beaten him on Centre Court since 2013, when he lost 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to Andy Murray in the title match.

By the numbers

Novak Djokovic is level with Serena Williams, with each having won 23 major titles. Should Djokovic win his 24th, he would draw even with Margaret Court, who won 24. He would also be three quarters of the way toward winning all four majors in the same season — a calendar Grand Slam. The last man to accomplish the feat was Rod Laver in 1969.

“Quotable …”

“For Novak, it’s just one more moment, but for me it will be the best moment of my life. Playing a Wimbledon final is something I’ve dreamed of, even better against Novak. It will be really emotional for me but I’ll try to stay calm.”

– Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, speaking after his semifinal victory Friday, which lifted him into his first Wimbledon final and second major title match of his career.

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