In the elegant hell that the Wimbledon center court can become, Carlos Alcaraz makes Novak Djokovic dance, has fun, celebrates with the audience, and creates one of his Alcaraz moments, those occasions where watching him brings a smile from ear to ear, brightens your gaze, and makes you chuckle in a way that prompts your partner to come from the other room to check on you. His essence is beauty, as it was for Roger Federer, as Foster Wallace wrote, also the power of Rafa Nadal and the speed of Djokovic himself, but above all, it is about enjoyment. How difficult it is to see and how unstoppable it is, the tennis player who has fun.
This Sunday, Alcaraz had a great time winning his fourth Grand Slam, his second consecutive Wimbledon, in what was his masterpiece, the best match of his life, a celebration of his tennis and his own persona. At 21 years old, a genius of all strokes, he has matured while maintaining his joy, and now let anyone come and try to stop him, whoever it may be, most likely no one.
If last year he defeated Djokovic, which was already an achievement, this year he diminished him, which is quite remarkable. The most decorated tennis player in history, with his 24 Grand Slam titles and numerous other records, was just an ordinary player in Alcaraz's hands. The Spanish player won by 6-2, 6-2, and 7-6(4) in just two hours and eight minutes with the most complete game he has ever displayed. More focused than ever, he was the fastest Alcaraz on grass, the best server, the most accurate, the most determined, and, of course, the one who enjoyed the most. If anything, to achieve perfection, he lacked enjoying with several drop shots, but this time it was not necessary.
Injured in his right knee at Roland Garros, Djokovic showed some slowness and even discomfort, and Alcaraz's plan could only be what it was: to move him, move him, and move him. From the very first game, which lasted an eternity, with the Spanish player breaking Djokovic on his fifth attempt, Alcaraz attacked Djokovic, and the latter practically yielded throughout the match.
A lethal serve, a lethal return
Initially, the effectiveness of Alcaraz's serve surprised Djokovic. After reviewing all his matches in this Wimbledon and his low percentage of success in them, the Serbian probably planned to attack his second serves and build his victory on his return. After all, he had achieved it before, like in their last encounter in the ATP Finals semifinals. But Alcaraz appeared in the final with his best serve. Beyond the power, which was there - several serves over 200 km/h - he excelled in placement, barely giving Djokovic any chances, in fact, Djokovic only had three break points and converted only one, towards the end.
But Alcaraz's superiority is not only explained by one shot. Not at all. With his points secured, he adapted a plan as unexpected as aggressive to the return. When Djokovic hesitated on his serve, the Spanish player stepped into the court and attacked him cross-court, and if Djokovic managed to respond, the subsequent exchanges almost always ended in Alcaraz's favor.
On several occasions, Djokovic hit a shot he thought was a winner, a volley, a drop shot, a forehand with an impossible angle, and yet Alcaraz appeared to outplay him. Only in the third set, when everything was already lost - no one has come back from two sets down since 1927 - did Djokovic go all out and demanded more, but even then. The Spanish player, then nervous, even wasted three championship points with a 5-4 and 40-0 lead, but in the tie-break, he didn't miss. There was a drop shot on the run, almost his first successful one, that sealed the victory.
There, the winner of 25 Grand Slam titles, who has seen it all in tennis, who has faced the best players in history at their peak, could only sigh. What a torment. At 37 years old, his farewell is not far, and it will be then when he reflects. Among all his experiences, he will remember the Wimbledon final of 2024 when he witnessed the rise of the player who embodies the beauty of Federer, the power of Nadal, his own speed, and who at the same time enjoys himself. One day Djokovic will talk about the Alcaraz moments and not only will he be able to bring a smile from ear to ear, brighten his gaze, and start chuckling in a way that prompts his partner to come from the other room to check on him.