Carlos Alcaraz has become a two-time champion in Wimbledon after pulled off a promising campaign in the grass major’s final by beating his rival Novak Djokovic in a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) game for the second straight year. Alcaraz has now nabbed his fourth major title, adding this current victory to his three (2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon, 2024 French Open) Grand Slam career wins.

The Spanish star rode off at an incredible pace after he just won the 2024 French Open, and he did not hold back in his promising game when he came up with a massive run that saw him gear up for a huge rally in the Tour. This just shows how Alcaraz continues to improve at a high level in his game after having a tough and slow start to the 2024 campaign.

Still, Alcaraz has a long way to go to secure the world no. 1 spot, which is currently held by Jannik Sinner. The Spanish star moves to the second spot after this victory, while Djokovic moves down to third after the loss in a match that was highly anticipated by a lot of tennis fans.

Staving off a Djokovic Rally

Alcaraz did not come up with an easy win in this campaign in Wimbledon. After winning the first two sets with ease in both a 6-2 affair, Alcaraz had to keep Djokovic at bay when the latter rallied in the third and final set to make it a 7-6 (4) battle. He had to produce some impressive winners across the whole showdown, but it was the aggressive approach on the serves and volleys that opened up promising opportunities for him to win the game. Alcaraz held onto the final tie-break that would wrap up a promising campaign in the grass courts of Wimbledon.

“It was difficult for me. I tried to stay calm, I tried to stay positive at that situation, going into the tie-break, and I tried to play my best tennis. That’s all I was thinking about. I’m really glad that at the end I could find the solution and I’m happy to be in this situation," said Alcaraz. "Djokovic is an unbelievable fighter and I knew he was going to have his chances again, so I had to stay there. I tried to win the point with the serve, but I couldn’t.”

Thanks to a set of powerful passing shots and 42 winners, Alcaraz foiled a comeback attempt from Djokovic that could’ve made the final even more interesting. The head-to-head series between the two top stars now improves to 3-3, which just says a lot about how composed Alcaraz was heading into this battle.

Chasing History

At the age of 21, Alcaraz became the second player in the Open Era to win his first four Grand Slam finals, with Roger Federer winning his first seven. This win also marks him as the sixth man to win both the Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, joining an elite company composed of Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.

"I think fighting, believing," Alcaraz said. "It is a huge honour for me to be part of those players who have achieved Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. They are huge champions. I don't consider myself as a champion yet, not like them, but I will keep going to build my path, my journey. It is a huge honour for me."

Alcaraz’s victory in London proved to be pivotal in the ATP Rankings as well, with the Spanish star now being behind 250 points from Jannik Sinner, which should set up a promising battle for the year-end world no. 1 ranking.