Rafael Nadal could not play at this year’s Wimbledon, but the champion made him happy! Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first Wimbledon crown, joining Nadal and Manolo Santana as the third Spanish player to achieve that. Nadal shared an emotional message with the 20-year-old, congratulating him on beating Novak Djokovic and delivering the first All England Club men’s singles title since 2010.
Carlos overpowered a seven-time champion 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in four hours and 42 minutes for his second Major title. Alcaraz dropped the opener and fended off a set point in the second set’s tie break to remain in contention.
The young gun had the upper hand in the third set before a 23-time Major winner found his strokes in the fourth to force a decider. Carlos claimed the crucial points and prevailed with an early break that carried him toward his second Major crown at such a young age.
Novak made a perfect start and claimed the opener 6-1 in 34 minutes after a double break.Carlos raised his level in the second set and fired 17 winners and 14 unforced errors to follow the rival’s pace. They traded early breaks and served well in the remaining games to introduce a tie break.
Djokovic led 3-0 after a mini-break and a booming serve before Alcaraz bounced back and moved 5-4 in front. Novak leveled the score at 5-5 after Carlos’ volley error and earned a set point with a backhand winner. Djokovic squandered it with a loose backhand and netted another to fall 7-6 behind.
Alcaraz seized a set point with a backhand return winner to level the overall score at 1-1 after an hour and 59 minutes! Novak dropped a tie break at Majors after winning 15 in a row this year, losing ground and fading from the court in set number three.
The Serb sprayed almost 20 unforced errors and got broken three times, the number of service games he conceded before the final! Carlos grabbed an early break in the first game and defended two break points in game four to forge a 3-1 advantage.
Rafael Nadal congratulated Carlos Alcaraz on his Wimbledon title.
The fifth game secured a place in Wimbledon history, with 32 points and 27 minutes of a grueling battle!
The game saw 13 deuces, numerous game points for Novak and seven break chances for the young gun! Carlos seized the last when Novak netted a forehand to earn an enormous boost. The Spaniard held at 15 in the sixth game and closed the set with another break a few minutes later for a massive advantage ahead of set number four.
Novak took an extended break and defended two break points in the second game to end his downfall. The Serb stepped in and grabbed breaks in games five and nine to wrap up the set 6-3 and force a decider, ready to give his everything while chasing his eighth Wimbledon crown.
They missed a break point in games one and two of the final set, and Carlos delivered a break in game three to move in front. Alcaraz served for the title at 5-4 and held at 30 after forcing Djokovic’s error to celebrate his career-best moment.
“Congratulations Carlos. You have given us immense joy today, and I’m sure our Spanish tennis pioneer, Manolo Santana, has also been cheering wherever he is, such as Wimbledon whom you have joined today. A very strong hug, and enjoy the moment, Champion!!! ” Rafael Nadal said.
