Carlos Alcaraz (1st, Spain) claimed his first Wimbledon Men’s Singles title, worth £44.7 million (approximately 7.43 billion won), by defeating Novak Djokovic (2nd, Serbia) in a “century’s showdown.”
On the final day of the tournament held at the All England Club in London on the 16th (local time), Alcaraz triumphed over Djokovic in a thrilling 4 hours and 42 minutes with a score of 3-2 (1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4) and lifted the championship trophy.
The 20-year-old Alcaraz, who has been attracting attention with remarkable achievements, including becoming the youngest player to reach world No.1, overturned the “invincible” Djokovic, who holds the record for the most major tournament victories with 23.
This victory also marks the end of the era dominated by the “Big 3” in men’s tennis, consisting of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (136th, Spain), and Roger Federer (retired, Switzerland).
Previously, only players like Andy Murray (40th, UK), who occasionally grouped with the “Big 3” to be called the “Big 4,” had managed to win the Wimbledon Men’s Singles title since Lleyton Hewitt (retired, Australia) in 2002, making it an unprecedented event in 21 years.
Alcaraz led the head-to-head record against Djokovic with 2 wins and 1 loss.
He avenged his 1-3 defeat in the semifinals of this year’s French Open.
After securing his first major title at the US Open last year, Alcaraz increased his total number of major victories to 2 with this win.
While Alcaraz had shown weakness on grass courts due to lack of experience compared to clay and hard courts, he showcased his abilities on grass by winning his first grass court title at The Queen’s Club Championships last month, and now, at Wimbledon, he has elevated himself as a player capable of excelling on all surfaces at a young age.
With this victory, Alcaraz will maintain his No. 1 ranking for the 4th consecutive week, as the new rankings will be announced on the 17th. If he had lost, he would have relinquished the top spot to Djokovic.
The prize money Alcaraz will receive for the victory is £2.35 million (approximately 3.91 billion won).
Djokovic’s quest for a Wimbledon 5-peat and his 8th overall title came to an end.
At just 36 years old, Djokovic’s hopes of rewriting Wimbledon Men’s Singles records for the most titles (8) and the oldest champion (35 years and 11 months) will have to remain with Federer for the time being.
In the match, Djokovic seemed to have a comfortable lead with a 5-0 advantage in the first set against a seemingly less flexible Alcaraz, eventually securing the set.
However, Alcaraz fought back in the second set, hitting an impressive ‘0-point’ shot and turning the tide.
In the tiebreaker, Alcaraz deceived Djokovic with a superb volley to reset the game.
Alcaraz put a stop to Djokovic’s perfect tiebreaker record in the tournament.
In the third set, Alcaraz took a 3-1 lead, leading to an intense match with 13 deuces recorded during the set.
After more than 25 minutes of intense battle, Alcaraz secured a crucial break point and roared in celebration, eventually winning the third set and turning the match in his favor with a 2-1 set score.
Despite taping his left thigh and showing signs of discomfort by repeatedly hitting that area with his racket, Djokovic tenaciously accumulated points and managed to push the match to a fifth set.
Alcaraz seized the advantage by breaking Djokovic’s serve in the third game of the fourth set, leading to Djokovic releasing his frustration by hitting his racket against the net post.
In the end, Alcaraz secured victory as Djokovic’s final shot failed to clear the net, and he ecstatically collapsed on the court, covering his face with joy in the triumph. 바카라사이트