The Wimbledon men’s singles final between reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz and second seed Novak Djokovic is set to occur at the All England Club this Sunday. The mixed doubles finals will also be held.
Exciting final rematch anticipated
Three-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz arrived at Wimbledon as the favourite to win the title after his victory at the French Open last month. However, few anticipated Djokovic to advance far, given his Roland Garros campaign was cut short by a knee injury.
Despite this, the 37-year-old, who had surgery just five weeks ago, has surpassed expectations in his quest for a 25th Grand Slam, aiming to hold the all-time record alone, which he currently shares with Margaret Court.
Djokovic’s consistent return to peak performance in an otherwise turbulent season has left fans both at the All England Club and globally eager for another electrifying match like the one that took place a year ago when Alcaraz triumphed in five sets.
“I wasn’t certain until three or four days before the tournament whether I’d participate. I exerted extra effort to recover swiftly, mainly because it was Wimbledon,” Djokovic stated. “I’m extremely pleased to reach the final because initially, in the first couple of matches, I wasn’t contemplating the title match.
“I was concentrating on moving well, avoiding injury, and feeling more liberated in my movement… By the third and especially the fourth round, I thought, ‘Alright, I’m nearly playing at my best and I might have a chance at winning the title’.”
Last year’s loss to Alcaraz halted Djokovic’s pursuit of a fifth consecutive title, which would have equalled Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon titles. The Serbian will enter Sunday’s match seeking retribution.
Nonetheless, he faces a formidable challenge against an opponent who has never lost a Grand Slam final and is the youngest player in the professional era to secure major titles on all three surfaces. “I’m not sure if I’ll break his heart,” Djokovic remarked about his 21-year-old rival.
“I’ve no intention of doing that. I think he’s so young, yet he already has three Grand Slam titles to his name and is chasing his fourth. He’s an incredibly well-rounded and complete player. It’s remarkable what he’s achieved at such a young age. He’s bound to win numerous slams throughout his career. I hope he’ll let me have this one, and after that, I’ll be cheering for him.”
History also awaits Alcaraz
Alcaraz hasn’t been at his most convincing at Wimbledon this year, but he still has the chance to join elite ranks. Successfully defending his title would make him only the second player in the professional era, following Federer, to win his first four major finals. Additionally, he could become just the sixth man since 1968 to win both the Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles in the same year, joining the likes of Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafa Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.
However, Alcaraz is not making any assumptions. “I know what it feels like playing against Djokovic,” said Alcaraz, who now has a 2-3 record against him, having lost their last two encounters at the Cincinnati Masters and the ATP Finals last year. “I’ve faced him several times in Grand Slams and Masters 1000 finals.”
I am aware of my responsibilities. I’m confident he understands what he must do to defeat me. “It’s going to be a really interesting one.”
Mixed Doubles Final
Due to rain delays, the mixed doubles final was rescheduled to Sunday. Santiago Gonzalez and Giuliana Olmos, the first Mexican pair to reach this stage, aim to conclude a successful week with a victory. They will compete against the seventh-seeded duo of Jan Zielinski from Poland and Hsieh Su-wei from Taiwan.
Wimbledon Order of play on Day 14
The schedule for Centre Court on the 14th day of the Wimbledon championships on Sunday (play begins at 1300 GMT, seeding indicated by prefix number):
Men’s Singles Final
3-Carlos Alcaraz vs 2-Novak Djokovic
followed by MIXED DOUBLES FINAL
Santiago Gonzalez/Giuliana Olmos vs 7-Jan Zielinski/Hsieh Su-wei
