Carlos Alcaraz celebrated a generational shift in tennis after dethroning Novak Djokovic in one of the great Wimbledon finals.
The young Spaniard looked to be on his way to victory when he recovered from a nervous start to take a two-sets-to-one lead only for Djokovic to show once again his remarkable powers of resilience.
It was he who appeared in the ascendancy at the start of the fifth set but back came 20-year-old Alcaraz to claim a 1-6 7-6 (6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory after four hours and 42 minutes, finally landing a meaningful blow for the young guns against the man 16 years his senior.
Alcaraz was not even born when Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 became the last man apart from Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray or Djokovic to win the title here, and he is the youngest men’s champion since Boris Becker in 1986.
Alcaraz won his maiden slam title at the US Open last summer but, having beaten Casper Ruud on that occasion with Djokovic barred from entering the country, there is no question this is a far bigger, and potentially seismic, moment in the men’s game.
“I did it for myself, not for the tennis generation,” said Alcaraz. “(But) beating Novak at his best, in this stage, making history, being the guy to beat him after 10 years unbeaten on that court, is amazing for me.
“It’s something that I will never forget. It’s great for the new generation, as well, I think, to see me beating him and making them think that they are capable to do it as well.
“It’s the happiest moment of my life. I think it’s not going to change for a long time. Beating Novak, winning the Wimbledon championship, is something that I dream about since I started playing tennis.”
The defeat prevented Djokovic tying Federer with an eighth Wimbledon title, while it also ended his chances of winning the calendar Grand Slam this year and possibly forever, although he will surely have more opportunities to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 slam crowns.
This was the hottest ticket in town. Along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte and King Felipe VI of Spain, Hollywood stars Brad Pitt, Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig were attendance while, among the tennis ranks, sat in the stands with new men’s doubles champion Neal Skupski, was Murray.
The Scot was the last man to beat Djokovic on this court, 10 years and 46 matches ago, in that unforgettable final.
The excitement that fizzed around the arena threatened to evaporate as Djokovic pounced on Alcaraz, winning the first five games then the opening set in only 34 minutes.
Djokovic had two main regrets after the match, the biggest one being that he was not able to extend his record of consecutive slam tie-breaks won to 16.
He led 3-0 and had a set point at 6-5 only to net two routine backhands and then see an Alcaraz return fly past him.
In their first slam meeting in the semi-finals of the French Open last month, Alcaraz had been stricken by cramp after a similar first two sets, but here he looked far the better physically as he swept to the third set, breaking Djokovic for a second time in a 26-minute game comprising 13 deuces and seven break points.
But Djokovic is the master at rousing himself when he appears down and out and so it proved again.
The four-time defending champion had the momentum going into the decider but netted a high volley on break point at 1-0 and then hurled his racket against the net post in anger, smashing the frame, after Alcaraz broke in the next game.
Djokovic did all he could to apply pressure as the young Spaniard, who has extended his lead as world number one, stepped up to serve it out but Alcaraz showed what a truly special talent he is by pulling off a precision lob and a reflex volley before slumping to the grass when his opponent finally netted.
“Probably before this match I thought that I wasn’t ready to beat Djokovic in five sets, an epic match like this,” said Alcaraz. “I stayed good physically and good mentally about five hours against a legend.”
On learning from what happened in Paris, he added: “I am a totally different player than French Open. I grew up a lot since that moment. I learned a lot from that moment.”
Djokovic handled the defeat with impressive grace but broke down in tears when he saw his eight-year-old son Stefan applauding from the stands.
He admitted Alcaraz’s remarkably quick progression on grass had taken him by surprise and thought back to the close finals where he has come out on the other side.
“I’ve won some epic finals that I was very close to losing,” he said. “Maybe this is kind of a fair-and-square deal, I guess, to lose a match like this for me here. Even though it hurts.
“Credit to Carlos. Amazing poise in the important moments. For someone of his age to handle the nerves like this, be playing attacking tennis, and to close out the match the way he did. I thought I returned very well that last game, but he was just coming up with some amazing, amazing shots.
“Some regrets. I had my chances. I think I could have closed out that second-set tie-breaker better. But credit to him for fighting and showing some incredible defensive skills, passing shots that got him the break in the fifth. He was a deserved winner today.”
Alcaraz has a long way to go if he is to have anything like the careers that Djokovic and his long-time rivals Federer and Nadal have put together.
But the Serbian could not be more impressed with the 20-year-old as an all-round package, saying: “I think people have been talking in the past 12 months or so about his game consisting of certain elements from Roger, Rafa and myself.
“I would agree with that. I think he’s got basically the best of all three worlds. He’s got this Spanish bull mentality of competitiveness and fighting spirit and incredible defence.
“I haven’t played a player like him ever, to be honest. Roger and Rafa have their own strengths and weaknesses. Carlos is a very complete player. Amazing adapting capabilities that I think are a key for longevity and for a successful career on all surfaces.”
Alcaraz, still wearing his lucky bucket hat, burst into a wide grin when told what Djokovic had said.
“It’s crazy that Novak said that, honestly,” he said. “I don’t know. Probably he’s right. But I don’t want to think about it. I’m going to think that I’m full Carlos Alcaraz.”
Carlos Alcaraz was the toast of world sport after his stunning victory over Novak Djokovic handed him the Wimbledon men’s singles title for the first time at the age of just 20.
The Spaniard triumphed in a five-set epic to deny the Serbian a 24th grand slam title after a 1-6 7-6 (6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 arm wrestle on Centre Court.
His heroics prompted praise from the tennis glitterati and beyond as they took to social media after a thriller at SW19.
Compatriot Rafael Nadal, who has 22 grand slam titles to his name, tweeted: “Congratulations @carlosalcaraz. You have given us immense joy today and I am sure that our pioneer in Spanish tennis, 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!!!”
Last year’s beaten finalist Nick Kyrgios, who was a late withdrawal this year because of injury, added: “Haven’t watched a whole tennis match in a long time haha. Thank you @DjokerNole and @carlosalcaraz for putting on that incredible performance. Congratulations to you both.”
There was praise two from the organisers of the other three slam tournaments.
A series of posts on the US Open’s official Twitter account said: “What a match”, “That match was everything we hoped for” and “Can this rivalry continue on for a few more years, please?”, while Roland-Garros described the victory as “Prince of Wimbledon” and the Australian Open said simply, “Unstoppable”.
Alcaraz was presented with the trophy by the Princess of Wales, who watched from the Royal Box with Prince William and their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte as well as Spain’s King Felipe VI, and a message on their Twitter acount said: “What a match! Congratulations @carlosalcaraz.”
There were celebrations at Spain’s UK Embassy as officials also took to Twitter, saying: “Unbelievable, amazing, superb, fantastic… What a match, what a champion. Carlos Alcaraz wins his first #Wimbledon title, but certainly not the last.”
The young Spaniard’s triumph also impressed current and former athletes outside his sport with Spain’s former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea leading the tributes.
De Gea wrote: “Absolutely crazy @carlosalcaraz”, while Roma frontman Paulo Dybala said: “What a game we just saw @carlosalcaraz @DjokerNole! Congrats to both for the great final @Wimbledon!”
There was also a message from Real Madrid, the club the Murcia-born star supports.
It said: “Congratulations on your brilliant victory at @Wimbledon, @carlosalcaraz. And congratulations on maintaining top spot in the world tennis rankings. You are a source of pride for Spanish sport and all of the madridistas.”
Former Barcelona striker Gary Lineker put his Spanish to good use, with his tweet translating as: “Spectacular! What a game! What a player. What a champion. Congratulations to @carlosalcaraz. Magnificent.”
Retired cricketing superstar Sachin Tendulkar was equally effusive in his praise.
Tendulkar said: “What a fantastic final to watch! Excellent tennis by both these athletes! We’re witnessing the rise of the next superstar of tennis. I’ll be following Carlos’ career for the next 10-12 years just like I did with @Rogerfederer.
“Many congratulations @carlosalcaraz!”
There was recognition for Hollywood royalty too in the shape of Ben Stiller, who tweeted: “Congrats to @carlosalcaraz. What an incredible final.”
Carlos Alcaraz dethroned Novak Djokovic on Centre Court as the curtain closed on Wimbledon with a men’s final for the ages.
There was more British joy as Henry Searle won the boys’ singles crown but there was disappointment for Alfie Hewett as he again missed out on the wheelchair singles crown.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at day 14 of the Championships.
Alcaraz ends Djokovic reign
Carlos Alcaraz will go down in history as the man who finally beat Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.
The Serbian had not lost since 2017 and his invincibility stretched back even further on Centre Court, with Andy Murray the last man to inflict defeat on him there way back in 2013.
But Alcaraz proved he is the real deal and ended Djokovic’s reign in a men’s singles final that will go down as one of the greatest.
There were twists and turns, drama, frustration and most of all some epic tennis in a near five-hour battle that Alcaraz won 1-6 7-6 (6) 6-1 3-6 6-4.
He claimed his first SW19 crown and second grand slam title overall and it will be fascinating to see how much of a seminal moment this victory is.
Tweet of the dayQuote of the dayPicture of the dayHewett’s heartache
Alfie Hewett’s wait for grand slam perfection goes on after he lost the wheelchair singles final.
The Briton has won at the Australian Open, the French Open and US Open but his home slam at Wimbledon continues to evade him after a second successive final loss.
Number one seed Tokito Oda, who is just 17, denied him glory on Court One with a 6-4 6-2 victory as he won back-to-back grand slams following his recent success at the French Open.
Hewett was visibly devastated at the end and Oda could be an obstacle for some time, having become the youngest champion at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis.
Searle ends British drought
Henry Searle became the first British boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon since 1962.
The 17-year-old from Wolverhampton beat fifth seed Yaroslav Demin 6-4 6-4 on Court One to emulate Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed 61 years ago.
He is Britain’s first junior champion since Laura Robson won the girls’ event in 2008 and ensured more home success at this year’s tournament after Neal Skupski won the men’s doubles on Saturday.
It will be a life-changing experience for Searle but he looks like he has the temperament and the ability to succeed in the men’s game after a brilliant campaign where he did not drop a set, highlighted by him sending down a 134mph serve during the final.
Stat of the day
Carlos Alcaraz was crowned the new king of Wimbledon after dethroning Novak Djokovic on a rapt Centre Court in one of the great grand slam finals.
The young Spaniard looked to be on his way to victory when he recovered from a nervous start to take a two-sets-to-one lead only for Djokovic to show once again his remarkable powers of resilience.
It was he who appeared in the ascendancy at the start of the fifth set but back came 20-year-old Alcaraz to claim a 1-6 7-6 (6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory after four hours and 42 minutes, finally landing a meaningful blow for the young guns against the man 16 years his senior.
Alcaraz slumped to the court after Djokovic’s final forehand dropped into the net before sharing a long embrace with the vanquished Serbian.
Wimbledon boys’ champion Henry Searle says his transition into the men’s game will be expedited after his title success.
The 17-year-old from Wolverhampton became the first British boy to win the singles tournament in SW19 since 1962 as a 6-4 6-4 win over Yaroslav Demin saw him emulate Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer.
He is Britain’s first junior champion since Laura Robson won the girls’ event in 2008 and ensured more home success at this year’s tournament after Neal Skupski won the men’s doubles on Saturday.
It will be a life-changing experience for Searle but he looks like he has the temperament and the ability to succeed in the men’s game after a brilliant campaign where he did not drop a set, highlighted by him sending down a 134mph during the final.
And he will now look to move into the senior game while still continuing his education.
“I think there’s the jump to the men’s game that needs to be done a little bit quicker. Hopefully that can happen now,” he said.
“I’ll try to continue to work hard to try and be playing at that sort of level in the men’s, as well, in the future.
“The plan is to still do my A-Levels. How easy that will be I don’t know with all the travelling. I struggled enough as it is this year with travelling. At the end of long days it’s not ideal to try and sit down in front of a book.
“But I’ll see what happens. If the tennis is going well enough, I might not have to do them.”
He was backed by an army of fans on Court One, all decked out in matching t-shirts, and Searle has also been supported by his beloved football club Wolves.
And he hopes to be able to show his trophy off at Molineux in the forthcoming season.
“I hope so. I think that would be pretty cool,” he said. “I try and get to as many games as possible really when I’m home. Obviously it’s pretty difficult when travelling and playing tennis.
“I love going there, being with all my mates there. It’s pretty special.
“I think the Barmy Army have been exceptional from the start of the week till the end of the week. Hopefully they can continue to be like that over the years.”
There was another British victory in the boys’ under-14s as Mark Ceban beat Svit Suljic 7-6 (5) 6-3, but Hollie Smart was beaten in the girls’ under-14s, going down 6-3 6-1 to Luna Vujovic.
Hannah Klugman and Isabelle Lacy came up short in the girls’ doubles final, losing to Czech pair Alena Kovackova and Laura Samsonova.
Henry Searle became the first British boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon since 1962.
The 17-year-old from Wolverhampton beat fifth seed Yaroslav Demin 6-4 6-4 on Court One to emulate Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed 61 years ago.
He is Britain’s first junior champion since Laura Robson won the girls’ event in 2008 and ensured more home success at this year’s tournament after Neal Skupski won the men’s doubles on Saturday.
It will be a life-changing experience for Searle but he looks like he has the temperament and the ability to succeed in the men’s game after a brilliant campaign where he did not drop a set, highlighted by him sending down a 134mph during the final.
He never looked back after beating the top seed in the first round and the teenager succeeded where Jack Draper and Liam Broady have failed in recent years by winning the final.
On the prospect of what might be to come, he said on court: “I’ll definitely try and prepare myself for it, I’ll keep working hard and see what happens.”
He added: “It is amazing to play on Court One with such a special crowd and manage to get the job done.
“It’s a pretty special feeling and it is not going to come too often and I am going to try and enjoy it. It was amazing in front of this crowd today.”
He was backed by an army of fans on Court One, all decked out in matching t-shirts, and Searle was not overawed by his surroundings and the prospect of what he could achieve.
An even opening to the first set was punctuated by a small rain delay after which a key passage of play occurred.
Searle’s serve came under pressure for the first time in the match and he did brilliantly to fend off three break points.
As often is the case, he had the momentum and then broke Demin, a Russian with a powerful forehand, to lead 5-4.
With the pressure on serving for the set at 30-30 Searle fired a 132mph bullet serve that was an ace and then won the set with a booming forehand winner.
Everything was going Searle’s way and a break in the first game of the second set put him in even further control.
He then showed confidence and composure to hold Demin at bay and sealed the title when the Russian went long on his first championship point.
There was another British victory in the boys’ under-14s as Mark Ceban beat Svit Suljic 7-6 (5) 6-3, but Hollie Smart was beaten in the girls’ under-14s, going down 6-3 6-1 to Luna Vujovic.
Kim Clijsters has advised Ons Jabeur to “fake it until you make it” after another heartbreaking grand slam final defeat.
The popular Tunisian could not overcome her nerves in a 6-4 6-4 loss to Marketa Vondrousova that made it back-to-back Wimbledon final losses.
A US Open final defeat to Iga Swiatek was sandwiched in between and Jabeur now joins an unwanted club of players who have lost their first three grand slam finals.
Like Andy Murray, it took Belgian Clijsters five attempts before she finally won one, and she shared tears with Jabeur in the locker room
“Just watching her in her interview and seeing the emotions afterwards, it brings back a lot of memories and thoughts of how you go about it,” said Belgian Clijsters.
“There’s no secret, it’s just trying to give yourself the opportunity to get to that stage again. The unfortunate thing is you cannot practise these things, you cannot practise being in a grand slam final, you can only do it within the occasion.
“The biggest thing she has to maybe learn is to fake it, fake it until you make it. You could see it really clearly that the negative emotions were taking over.
“If she missed a shot, there was the natural kind of reaction that was negative. When she made a great point, there was nothing a lot of the time. That just showed the doubt was overpowering everything.”
Clijsters lost twice in French Open finals and once each at the Australian Open and US Open before her maiden success in New York in 2005.
“It’s tough,” said the 40-year-old, who went on to win four major titles. “But there shouldn’t be any question in her mind about whether she can do it or not. She can beat all these players, there’s no doubt about that.
“For me the most disappointing is not so much the loss, it’s the fact that you weren’t able to bring your best tennis to the biggest occasion, and that’s the most frustrating and that’s why you start to worry – why am I not able to do it? Why am I so overwhelmed with emotions on the big stage?
“But it does feel good eventually when you get it. It’s definitely a process. I just know looking back I wasn’t ready to win and I’m very happy I didn’t win my first.”
Jabeur was grateful for Clijsters’ support and is encouraged that many other players have been through similar adversity before eventually getting their hands on a winners’ trophy.
“I love Kim so much,” said Jabeur. “She’s a great inspiration for me. I grew up watching her a bit. The fact that she takes the time to give me advice and to really hug me, always be there for me, I think it’s priceless.
“She was telling me all the time she lost four. That’s the positive out of it. You cannot force things. It wasn’t meant to be.”
Novak Djokovic is going for his eighth Wimbledon title and Carlos Alcaraz his first in a final billed as the ultimate generation game.
Djokovic, 36, is bidding to become the oldest man to take the SW19 crown while 20-year-old Alcaraz is the youngest finalist since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006.
The winner will also claim the world number one spot.
Elsewhere, there is British interest in the juniors competition, with Henry Searle reaching the final of the boys’ singles, while Alfie Hewett looks to finally win an elusive wheelchair singles title in SW19.
Here, the PA news agency looks ahead to the final day of the Championships.
Will it be Novak the gr-eight?
Djokovic is making history with virtually every victory and a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win over Jannik Sinner in his record-equalling 46th grand slam semi-final earned him a record-breaking 35th final, taking him past American great Chris Evert.
The Serbian is now only one victory away from matching Roger Federer by winning an eighth Wimbledon title, and Federer and Bjorn Borg by claiming five in a row.
He would also move level with Margaret Court with a record 24th grand slam crown.
It is 10 years since Djokovic lost a match on Centre Court, an extraordinary run of 45 matches going back to the 2013 final against Andy Murray.
Or king Carlos the first?
Standing in Djokovic’s way is swashbuckling Spaniard Alcaraz in what will, incredibly, be only the 18th match of his career on grass.
The world number one proved he has got the hang of the surface by winning at Queen’s Club last month and he dismantled third seed Daniil Medvedev in three sets in their semi-final.
Alcaraz already has a grand slam title to his name having won last year’s US Open, and he reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros.
There he was beaten by Djokovic, but only after cramping up following two evenly-contested sets.
Next stop, Searle’s court
Wolverhampton’s Searle is one match away from becoming Britain’s first boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon for 61 years.
The 17-year-old defeated American fourth seed Cooper Williams 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Backed by his noisy fan club consisting of family members and friends from his tennis club, Searle is on the brink of emulating Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed in 1962.
Jack Draper was the last British player to make the final five years ago, while Liam Broady also reached it in 2011, but both were beaten.
Searle will face 17-year-old Yaroslav Demin of Russia in the final.
There is also British interest in the junior doubles after Hannah Klugman and Isabelle Lacy reached the final, while Alfie Hewett goes for his maiden wheelchair singles title against world number one Tokito Oda of Japan.
Order of play
Centre Court (from 2pm)
Carlos Alcaraz v Novak Djokovic
Storm Hunter/Elise Mertens v Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova
Court One (from 11am)
Alfie Hewett v Tokito Oda
Henry Searle v Yaroslav Demin
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan v James Blake/Lleyton Hewitt
Weather
Sunny changing to cloudy by late morning.
Wolverhampton’s Henry Searle is one match away from becoming Britain’s first boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon for 61 years.
The 17-year-old knocked out the top seed in the opening round and is yet to drop a set, overcoming windy conditions to defeat American fourth seed Cooper Williams 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the semi-finals.
Backed by his noisy fan club consisting of family members and friends from his tennis club, Searle moved to the brink of emulating Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed back in 1962.
Jack Draper was the last British player to make the final five years ago, while Liam Broady also reached the trophy decider in 2011, but both came out on the losing side.
Searle showed a cool head in a first set of few chances, saving the first break point and then creating two on Williams’ serve, which the 18-year-old did well to save.
The tie-break went the way of the British player, though, who opened up a 5-1 lead and did not allow his opponent to claw his way back.
A sizeable crowd were gathered around Court Four and there was another huge cheer when Searle’s pressure on the Williams serve paid off with a first break of serve to lead 4-2.
He then clinched his third match point before celebrating with his jubilant friends sat courtside.
Carlos Alcaraz says the blockbuster Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic is going to be the “best moment of my life”.
The world number one is gunning for his first title in SW19 but is coming up against the toughest test of all in Djokovic, who has eyes on a record-equalling eighth success on Centre Court.
A 16-year age gap between the two players makes Sunday the ultimate generation game as Alcaraz looks to dethrone 36-year-old Djokovic.
And the Spaniard, who disposed of third seed Daniil Medvedev, is going to cherish the moment.
“It is probably going to be the best moment of my life – probably,” he said. “Playing a final here in Wimbledon is something that I dream about when I start playing tennis. As I said before, it’s even better playing against Novak.
“It’s going to be a really emotional moment for me. But I’ll try to stay calm in that moment. For Novak it is one more day, one more moment. For me, it’s going to be the best moment of my life I think.”
It is a rematch of the recent French Open semi-final where Alcaraz played brilliantly to level at one set all before cramp ruined his chances and Djokovic raced to a four-set win on his way to a record 23rd grand slam title.
Alcaraz, chasing his second after winning last year’s US Open, has vowed to do things differently in his preparation.
“I will try to get into the court with not as much nerves as I probably had in French Open, in the semi-final,” he said. “I will try to pull out all the nerves, try to enjoy that moment because probably in the semi-final at the French Open I didn’t enjoy at all in the first set.
“I’ll do something different. I’ll prepare the match a little bit different from the French Open. It’s going to be different for me. I hope not to get cramp during the final.
“I think I’ll be better on Sunday.”
Playing in the final is not a new thing for Djokovic as he aims to join Roger Federer on eight titles and notch a fifth in a row.
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“It’s an ultimate showdown,” said Djokovic, who has not lost on Centre Court since 2013. “Everything comes down to one match.
“All eyes of the tennis and sports world will be directed on this Sunday’s Wimbledon’s final. It’s probably the most watched tennis match globally. I look forward to it.
“I obviously have more experience than most of these guys that I faced here, and that I will face on Sunday, as well.
“Experience could help a little bit I think maybe in some important moments, beginning the match, managing the nerves, managing the occasion, circumstances. Yeah, that’s where experience could play a role.
“But it’s not going to be the deciding factor really. So whoever on a given day is in a better state, I mean, mentally and physically, will be the winner.”
History will be made on women’s final day as Tunisian Ons Jabeur takes on Czech Marketa Vondrousova.
A new name will on the Venus Rosewater Dish after the Centre Court showpiece as last year’s runner-up takes on the first unseeded women’s finalist in SW19 since 1963.
Elsewhere, Neal Skupski is going for a Wimbledon hat-trick and the schedule is playing catch up as play was washed out on the outside courts on Friday.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at day 13.
Ons the way to redemption
Ons Jabeur is back in the Wimbledon final 12 months after she suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Elena Rybakina.
The Tunisian has said that 2022 was never her time, but there is a real sense she is now ready to become a grand slam champion.
She has looked every inch the title contender throughout the tournament with her all-round game and fighting spirit getting her this far.
If she can go one better than last year then she will become the first female singles winner of a grand slam from an Arab or African country.
Vondrousova’s road to recovery
Marketa Vondrousova is also on the path to redemption after injury stalled her promising career.
After reaching the French Open as a teenager in 2019, she has suffered with health issues and revealed that her only participation in Wimbledon last year was watching her best friend in qualification at Roehampton while wearing a cast on her left wrist.
But 12 months on she is in the final after going under the radar until ending Elina Svitolina’s emotional run in the last four.
She will have extra support in her box as her husband has found a cat sitter so is travelling over for the match.
And if she wins, she will become the first unseeded women’s title winner in Wimbledon history.
Skupski going for the hat-trick
Not since Dorothy Round in 1937 has a British player won a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles, but Neal Skupski could be about to emulate that achievement.
The Liverpudlian won the mixed doubles in 2021 and 2022 and is now going for the “pinnacle” in the men’s doubles with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof.
Skupski will not have his brother and coach Ken in his box as he went on a family holiday to Ibiza on Friday, but he did provide tactical analysis via video.
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who beat Skupski and Koolhof at the French Open, stand in the way.
Order of play
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Centre Court
Marketa Vondrousova v Ons Jabeur
Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski v Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos
Court One
Alfie Hewett v Martin De La Puente
Wozniacki/Black v Radwanska/O’Brien
Hewett/Reid v Miki/Oda
Weather
Very strong winds, with the chance of early showers.
Novak Djokovic is looking forward to a “feast” of a Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz after overcoming spats with the umpire and the crowd in a straight-sets victory over Jannik Sinner.
The end of the fortnight will see the contest that was widely predicted at the start, with the world’s two best players fighting it out for the trophy.
Djokovic is making history with virtually every victory and a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win against Sinner in his record-equalling 46th grand slam semi-final earned him a record-breaking 35th final, taking him past American great Chris Evert.
Alcaraz, who blitzed third seed Daniil Medvedev, is the only man who can now prevent Djokovic matching Roger Federer by winning an eighth Wimbledon title and Margaret Court with a 24th grand slam crown.
A month ago at the French Open, Djokovic and Alcaraz clashed in a semi-final that hit the heights for two split sets before the young Spaniard was struck down by cramp.
“Judging by the performances that we have seen from all the players, I think this is probably the best final that we could have,” said Djokovic. “We are both in good form. We’re both playing well.
“I want to take this title without a doubt. I look forward to it. It’s going to be a great challenge, the greatest challenge that I could have at the moment from any angle really: physical, mental, emotional.
“He’s one of the quickest guys on the tour. He can do pretty much anything on the court. I consider myself also a very complete player.
“We had a very good match until he started struggling physically in Paris. I think we really took the level of tennis very high. I think it was great for the audience and great for us players to be part of that.
“Obviously completely different conditions here. I do have more experience playing in many more grand slam or Wimbledon finals than him. Still, he’s in great shape. He’s very motivated. He’s young. He’s hungry. I’m hungry, too, so let’s have a feast.”
While on paper it appeared a comfortable win for Djokovic against Sinner, there were moments of real tension, particularly when he saved two set points at 4-5 in the third set and before that in the fourth game of the second, when he was penalised for a hindrance by British umpire Richard Haigh.
At 15-15, Djokovic suddenly let out a loud and late grunt after hitting a backhand down the line that he probably expected to be a winner only for Sinner to reach it.
It is unusual for a grunt to elicit a hindrance ruling and Djokovic reacted with disbelief, saying to Haigh: “You must be joking. Calling that in the semi-final of Wimbledon? What are you doing?”
To compound the situation, Haigh then gave Djokovic a time violation in the same game for taking too long on his serve.
“I have to accept the decision from a chair umpire,” said the 36-year-old later. “I’ve never had a hindrance call for an extended grunt. I saw the replay. I saw that my grunt finished before he hit the shot. So I thought that chair umpire’s call was not correct.
“I was just trying to hold my things mentally together and not really get upset, even though I was really upset because I didn’t think it was the right call.”
The crowd were willing Sinner to make a contest of it and sensed the moment had come when the 21-year-old Italian created two set points in the third.
Djokovic clapped sarcastically and gave a thumbs up when noise delayed his second serve, with a man shouting ‘Vamos Rafa’, and was then booed for taunting the crowd when Sinner missed both chances.
When Djokovic held serve, he turned to the fans closest to him and mimed crying.
It is far from the first time the second seed has expressed annoyance with crowds cheering against him but, asked about it in his press conference, he said only with a smile: “It’s all love. All love and acceptance.”
Sinner and Djokovic had met in the quarter-finals here last year, when the Italian opened up a two-set lead only for his opponent to win in five.
Sinner certainly had his chances in this one but was unable to take any of the six break points he created, while 20 unforced errors on his powerful forehand, often at important moments, rather told the story.
Djokovic took his only chance in the first set and it was not until Sinner fought back from 0-40 to hold serve in the third game of the third set that he was really able to apply any consistent pressure.
He made errors on both of his set points, though, and then squandered a 3-1 lead in the tie-break with a double fault and more mistakes – Djokovic’s winning tie-break streak at grand slams now stands at 15.
Sinner was left to rue his missed chances, saying: “Regardless of the score, I felt like I was more close this year than last year.
“I’m trying to play in these situations more often. I felt like I was ready. I went with the right mentality on the court. I had a belief to win this match. I felt like my level was good. It was just, especially in the pressure points, I messed it up a little bit.”
Ons Jabeur hopes she has served her apprenticeship as she bids to take the final step and win a maiden grand slam title on Saturday.
No other woman can match the Tunisian’s achievement in reaching three grand slam finals in the last five tournaments after finishing as runner-up at Wimbledon last year to Elena Rybakina and at the US Open to Iga Swiatek.
Jabeur has certainly proved her grass-court credentials this fortnight, beating grand slam champions in the last four rounds, including Rybakina and second seed Aryna Sabalenka from a set down.
“Last year was my first final of a grand slam,” said Jabeur. “I’m definitely getting closer to winning the grand slam that I always wished.
“I would say I always believed. But sometimes you would question and doubt it if it’s going to happen, if it’s ever going to happen. Being in the last stages, I think it does help you believe more.
“I’m going to learn a lot from not only Wimbledon’s final but also US Open final, and give it my best. Maybe this year was all about trying two times and getting it right the third time.”
Standing in Jabeur’s way is an unexpected finalist in Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who reached the 2019 French Open final as a teenager but has been mostly off the radar since.
Having already beaten the players who defeated her at Wimbledon the last two years, Jabeur will now aim to make it third time lucky in another way having lost to Vondrousova twice this year, at the Australian Open and Indian Wells.
It will be a match for the purists, with Jabeur and Vondrousova the two best exponents of the drop shot in the women’s game and possessing far more in their arsenals than simply power.
Jabeur said: “I’m going for my revenge. I didn’t win against her this year. She has good hands. She plays very good.
“I will try to focus on myself a lot. I’m not sure how she’s going to play (in her) second grand slam final. We’re both hungry to win. Whoever deserves it more will win.”
Jabeur is already the first African woman and Arab player to reach a slam singles final in the open era, and is known as the ‘minister of happiness’ in her home country for her sunny demeanour and the pride she has engendered.
Lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish would be a hugely significant moment for her home region and Jabeur is buoyed by the support.
“The good thing about those people, they always tell me, ‘Win or lose, we love you’,” she said. “That’s great words to hear. I always try to remember that, even though I know everybody wants me to win.
“For me, there is one goal: I’m going for it. I will prepare 100 per cent. Hopefully I can make history, not just for Tunisia, but for Africa.”
Vondrousova’s resurgence this season has come after she missed six months of 2022 following two operations on her left wrist.
The 24-year-old, who was dropped by clothing sponsor Nike, came to London last summer as a tourist, watching a friend play in qualifying before visiting the London Eye and going shopping.
This is the first time Vondrousova has come close to matching what she achieved at Roland Garros four years ago, when a semi-final victory over Britain’s Johanna Konta was followed by a one-sided loss to Ashleigh Barty.
Like Jabeur, she has done things the hard way here, beating four seeded players before seeing off crowd favourite Elina Svitolina in the last four.
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She is aiming to become the first unseeded women’s champion at Wimbledon and believes her previous final experience will come into play, saying: “I think it can definitely help in tough moments.
“I was very young, so I think it was just too much for me back then. I’m a bit older now. I think I’m a bit of a different person. I’m just very happy to be through this again.”
Vondrousova, who will break into the top 10 for the first time if she claims the title, can also draw on the remarkable success of female players from her country.
Fellow left-hander Petra Kvitova was the last Czech winner of Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 but since then Lucie Safarova, Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Krejcikova and Karolina Muchova have also reached slam finals.
Novak Djokovic’s 33-match unbeaten run at Wimbledon will be tested against Italian eighth seed Jannik Sinner on men’s semi-final day in SW19.
World number one Carlos Alcaraz comes up against Russia’s third seed Daniil Medvedev in the other last-four clash on Centre Court.
Henry Searle carries the British flag in the juniors with a semi-final appearance and Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid are in wheelchair action.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at day 12 of the Championships.
Djokovic closes in on Federer record
It was 2017 when Novak Djokovic last lost at Wimbledon and even then it was because he retired injured in a quarter-final against Tomas Berdych.
Since then it has been total domination and he is just two wins away from a fifth successive title and eighth overall.
Standing in his path of a ninth final is 21-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner, who is Wimbledon’s poster boy for the future having featured prominently in an official pre-tournament picture.
He was two sets up against Djokovic in last year’s quarter-final before the Serbian hit back and it is going to be a huge challenge for him to even repeat winning two sets never mind stopping a 33-match unbeaten run.
Russian roulette for finals weekend
Following Aryna Sabalenka’s semi-final defeat to Ons Jabeur on Thursday, men’s third seed Daniil Medvedev is the last remaining Russian or Belarusian in the tournament.
That still leaves the possibility of an awkward presentation for the Princess of Wales on Sunday as tensions over the optics surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to simmer.
For that to happen, though, Medvedev has to beat 20-year-old world number one Carlos Alcaraz, who has shown over the last fortnight that he is the likely heir to Djokovic’s throne.
The Spaniard has looked assured on grass and his versatility and athleticism means he is probably the most likely to stop Djokovic should he get past the Russian.
Searle carrying British flag/h2>
Henry Searle is making a name for himself in the boys’ singles as he is through to the semi-final and is the only home player left in the tournament.
Searle, who took out the top seed earlier in the first round, dispatched eighth seed Joao Fonseca in the quarter-finals and now comes up against American Cooper Williams.
The last-four meeting gets a Court 12 showing as he becomes the first British boy to make the last four since Jack Draper in 2018.
Order of play
Centre Court
Jannik Sinner v Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz v Daniil Medvedev
Court One
Caroline Dolehide/Shuai Zhang v Storm Hunter/Elise Mertens
Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova v Marie Bouzkova/Sara Sorribes Tormo
Weather
Strong winds with risk of rain.
Ons Jabeur believes her new-found patience helped propel her into another Wimbledon final.
The Tunisian sixth seed, last year’s runner-up, came from a set down to beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-3 on Centre Court.
Sabalenka, banned from Wimbledon last year over the role of Belarus in the war in Ukraine, was a point from going a set and 5-3 up.
But Jabeur’s rousing comeback spared Wimbledon chiefs the uncomfortable situation of the Princess of Wales handing a trophy to, and shaking hands with, a player from Russia’s allied nation Belarus in the women’s final.
Instead of a politically-charged clash between Sabalenka and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, Centre Court will host Jabeur against Czech Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday.
Jabeur was devastated after losing to Elena Rybakina in last year’s final, but believes she is a different player 12 months on.
“Maybe the old me would have lost that match today,” she said. “Probably 12 months ago, for sure. Maybe also a little bit before, like six months ago. It’s a different player.
“I’m working on myself like crazy. You have no idea what I’m doing. Every time there is something, I’m very tough with myself, try to improve everything. Very impatient sometimes, which is not good.
“Maybe my injuries slowed me down and teach me to be patient and accept what’s going on.”
A set and a break down, Jabeur came out fighting on the Sabalenka serve and it finally paid off.
“I was like, honestly, I’m not going to give a s***, I’m just going to go in and hit my return,” she added.
“Yeah, it was coming. I was returning much better. She missed some shots that did help me stay in the game. I was fighting every point. We just wait for a little bit of chance sometime to get the game, and that’s what happened.”
Sabalenka has reached four consecutive semi-finals but only won one of them, when she took the Australian Open title earlier this year.
“I didn’t play my best tennis today. It was just, like, a combo of everything. A little bit of nerves, a little bit of luck for her at some points,” she said.
“I mean, she just played really well. She played unbelievable tennis. In those key moments, she got a little bit more lucky, and I didn’t play the way I was supposed to play.”
Victory would have elevated Sabalenka above Iga Swiatek to become world number one.
“I wouldn’t say that I was thinking about that. I mean, for me it’s more about how you finish the year than during the year you’re first, second, you just go back and forth,” she added.
“For me it’s more about the finish to the year. I’ll keep pushing myself and do everything I can to finish this year as world number one.”
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