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.
Carlos Alcaraz wants the scalp of Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon final on his CV.
The 20-year-old became the youngest man to reach the final since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 with a commanding 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory over Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Alcaraz, the world number one and top seed, will face Djokovic, the seven-time champion who is 16 years his senior, in the ultimate generation game on Centre Court.
The US Open champion could be forgiven for waiting for Djokovic to finally disappear from the scene – something the Serbian shows no sign of doing yet – before Alcaraz can begin racking up more grand slam titles.
But he said: “It gives you extra motivation. I think it’s more special to play the final against a legend from our sport.
“If I win, it could be amazing for me – not only win a Wimbledon title but to do it against Novak would be super special.
“But I always say if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Novak is one of them. It would be great if I can do it.”
Medvedev, the third seed and a former US Open champion, has been playing some superb grass-court tennis this fortnight.
But Alcaraz is no respecter of reputations and the Russian was barely in the match until a couple of breaks of serve were exchanged in the third set.
Even then, Alcaraz finished Medvedev off with a brutal forehand, his 27th winner of the semi-final.
“This one probably was one of my best matches, not only on grass but on the tour,” he added. “I rate it like eight out of 10, something like that.
“It was amazing for me. I showed a great level. Yeah, probably one of my best matches.”
Alcaraz had only played six matches on grass when he arrived at Queen’s Club last month, yet he took the title and has made serene progress in SW19.
“It could become my best surface,” he said with a smile.
“No, but I always like to play on grass. Probably after this year even more.”
It was a victory which also spared Wimbledon chiefs the uncomfortable situation of the Princess of Wales handing a trophy to, and shaking hands with, a player from Russia, after they were banned from the Championships last year due to the war in Ukraine.
Medvedev said: “Maybe against other guys you can be playing not bad, you’re going to have your chances, during the match you’re going to find something to work with.
“With Carlos, you need to be at your absolute best and that’s how you can win. Unfortunately, I was not.”
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will do battle in a hotly-anticipated Wimbledon final on Sunday.
The world’s two best players have negotiated their way safely through the draw to set up a rematch of last month’s French Open semi-final, which was locked at one-set all when Alcaraz was stricken by cramp.
The Spaniard followed up his straight-sets win over fellow young gun Holger Rune by taking out third seed Daniil Medvedev in emphatic fashion, winning 6-3 6-3 6-3.
Earlier, Djokovic had overcome some difficult moments to beat eighth seed Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) and reach a record 35th grand slam singles final.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how day 12 of the Championships unfolded.
Quote of the dayAlcaraz breezes through
The 20-year-old dropped sets in both the third and fourth rounds and it appeared this year’s Wimbledon may perhaps be too soon for him to challenge for the title.
But Alcaraz has been imperious in his last two matches and he took apart Medvedev to become the youngest man to reach the Wimbledon final since his compatriot Rafael Nadal 17 years ago.
Last year’s US Open champion will now attempt to do what no man has done since Nadal at the French Open last year and beat Djokovic at a slam.
Djokovic stays on course
Djokovic extended his winning run at Wimbledon to 34 matches as he continued to fight off the next generation.
The 36-year-old took his chances better than 21-year-old Sinner, who was playing in his first slam semi-final, and fought off his annoyance over a hindrance call for a loud grunt that saw him docked a point early in the second set.
Djokovic then became irritated by the crowd when Sinner created two set points at 4-5 in the third, miming crying after saving both before winning a 15th straight grand slam tie-break.
Picture of the dayRain, rain go away
It was a soggy scene on the outside courts at the All England Club on Friday.
Rain that began before the gates opened at 10am did not relent enough for any play to take place away from Centre Court and Court One, barring a few under-14 junior matches that were moved to indoor hard courts.
With the forecast predicting more rain and very strong winds on Saturday, it could be a major headache for organisers to ensure all the categories finish on time.
Shot of the dayStat of the day
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.”
Carlos Alcaraz set up a Wimbledon final for the ages after dismantling Daniil Medvedev on Centre Court.
The 20-year-old became the youngest man to reach the final since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 with a commanding 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory.
Alcaraz, the world number one and top seed, will face Novak Djokovic, the seven-time champion who is 16 years his senior, in Sunday’s mouthwatering showpiece.
Medvedev, the third seed and a former US Open champion, has been playing some superb grass-court tennis this fortnight.
But Alcaraz is no respecter of reputations, and the changing of the tennis guard could finally be on the cards if the man from Murcia plays with this ferocity against Djokovic.
It was a victory which also spared Wimbledon chiefs the uncomfortable situation of the Princess of Wales handing a trophy to, and shaking hands with, a player from Russia, after they were banned from the Championships last year due to the war in Ukraine.
Medvedev beat Alcaraz in the second round in SW19 two years ago, in what was only the then teenager’s second match on grass.
But the 27-year-old knew he was facing a very different opponent this year. Alcaraz, after all, is the current US Open champion and won on the turf at Queen’s last month.
Medvedev clearly had a gameplan and stood so far behind the baseline to receive the Alcaraz serve that he was virtually on Court One.
It was a tactic which Alcaraz exploited, serving and volleying to great effect as well as throwing in his usual dose of drop shots, including three winners in one service hold.
Alcaraz grabbed the solitary break in the first set, hitting a vicious return to the feet of Medvedev, who could only float his reply long.
At 1-1 in the second, a stunning reaction volley at the net brought up another break point for the youngster, converted with almost audacious ease, and another break put him two sets up with a little over an hour on the Rolex.
Medvedev twice retrieved breaks in the third but it was only delaying the inevitable, with Alcaraz sealing the deal with another brutal forehand before raising his arms in celebration.
Novak Djokovic lost his cool with umpire Richard Haigh and the Centre Court crowd but saw off Jannik Sinner in straight sets to reach a fifth consecutive Wimbledon final.
The Serbian is making history with virtually every victory and a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win in his record-equalling 46th grand slam semi-final earned him a record-breaking 35th final, taking him past American great Chris Evert.
He had to save two set points in the third set but is now only one victory away from matching Roger Federer by winning an eighth Wimbledon title and Margaret Court with a 24th grand slam crown.
This was not entirely smooth sailing, though, and he was clearly annoyed by the decision of British umpire Haigh to call a hindrance against him at 15-15 in the fourth game of the second set.
Djokovic had 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 for taking too long on his serve in the same game but the reigning champion managed to keep his cool and chose not to initiate another confrontation.
It was a different story with the crowd, who were willing Sinner to make a contest of it, when the 21-year-old created two set points at 4-5 in the third set.
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, but it was he, once again, who had the last laugh, extending his winning streak of tie-breaks to 15 at grand slams.
Sinner and Djokovic had met in the quarter-finals here last year, where the 21-year-old Italian opened up a two-set lead only for his opponent to win in five.
Both looked a little edgy at the start, with Sinner contesting his first slam semi-final after the sort of draw that players dream of.
The eighth seed could not convert two break points, though, and in the second game Djokovic took his chance.
Sinner, who struggled with his footwork throughout the contest on the slippery grass, had another break point in the fifth game only to miss with a forehand, and three aces in a row helped Djokovic clinch the set.
Sinner is one of the biggest ball-strikers in the game and he elicited oohs and aahs from the crowd at the sound made by the slap of strings on ball under the Centre Court roof.
There were too many errors to go with the winners, though, and an over-cooked forehand on break point at 1-1 in the second set put Djokovic firmly in control.
Sinner had a chance in the contentious fourth game to retrieve the deficit immediately only to net another forehand and, although Djokovic showed signs of stress, gesticulating towards his box, he found his first serve again just when he needed it most to serve out a two-set lead.
Djokovic’s biggest weapon is arguably his ability to lock in at the most important moments and that – helped by 15 years extra experience – was the main difference between the two players.
Sinner produced his own clutch serving to recover from 0-40 at 1-1 in the third set and looked the better player for much of the remainder of it but he could not capitalise on an early lead in the tie-break as Djokovic claimed a 21st win from his last 22 slam semi-finals.
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.”
Britain’s Henry Searle is being cheered on to junior success at Wimbledon by his football-supporting mates.
The 17-year-old from Wolverhampton reached his first junior grand slam semi-final in the boys’ singles with a 7-6 (3) 6-3 victory over Brazilian eighth seed Joao Fonseca.
Searle’s loud fan club certainly made themselves heard on Court Three, and he said: “It’s great knowing I have so much support from home. I don’t think there’s many of the players here that have that sort of environment.
“They’re all avid Wolves supporters so they’re used to a good crowd. I don’t think it’s intentional, it’s just their normal reaction, but they enjoy it.”
Searle reached the quarter-finals of the French Open and has built on that here, beginning his campaign by knocking out top seed Juan Carlos Prado Angelo and going on to set up a semi-final clash with American fourth seed Cooper Williams.
“It’s definitely given me confidence playing against some of the top juniors at this level, knowing going into any match that I can play any player and giving it my best will hopefully make me come out on top,” said Searle, who trains at the Lawn Tennis Association’s national academy in Loughborough.
“It was a really cool experience being able to play on Court Three and I managed to put in a good performance against a very good opponent. It’s a dream from a young age to win at Wimbledon and to have a few wins this week is pretty amazing.”
Liam Broady and Jack Draper both reached junior finals at Wimbledon in recent years but no British boy has won the title since Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, in 1962.
“That was a long time ago. I don’t really know too much about him but I’m just focusing on the match tomorrow, not thinking too far ahead,” said Searle.
Draper’s run in 2018 was much more recent, and Searle has been inspired by his fellow lefty.
“I remember watching bits of it,” he said. “I like to think he plays a little bit similar to myself. I take a few things from him and try to implement them into my game. He’s doing extremely well.”
Ranah Stoiber and Mika Stojsavljevic were both hoping to join Searle in the semi-finals but neither could progress beyond the last eight in the girls’ singles.
Fourteen-year-old Stojsavljevic has had a memorable week on her Wimbledon debut and fought back from 5-2 down in the second set to force a decider against Slovakian fifth seed Renata Jamrichova only to lose out 6-2 6-7 (6) 6-1.
Stoiber, 18, also took the opening set against Czech Nikola Bartunkova, who is in the top 350 of the women’s rankings, but fell to a 1-6 6-1 6-2 defeat.
British duo Isabelle Lacy and Hannah Klugman, meanwhile, are through to the semi-finals of the girls’ doubles.
Ons Jabeur will meet the unseeded Marketa Vondrousova in Saturday’s women’s final at Wimbledon.
Jabeur, last year’s runner-up, earned a shot at redemption by upsetting world number two Aryna Sabalenka after Vondrousova crushed the dreams of Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the first semi-final.
Elsewhere at the All England Club, Britain’s Neal Skupski secured a place in the final of the men’s doubles.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how day 11 of the Championships unfolded.
Ons-toppable?
Ons Jabeur was devastated after losing to Elina Rybakina in the 2022 final but believes she is a different player 12 months on.
The sixth seed defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-3 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd – and likely to the relief of the All England Club and Buckingham Palace.
Australian Open champion Sabalenka, banned from last year’s tournament due to 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 prospect 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, the gutsy Tunisian will bid to make it second time lucky, with underdog Vondrousova standing in her way.
Tweet of the daySvitolina unable to mount mother of all comebacks
Elina Svitolina’s inspiring run ended as Czech world number 42 Vondrousova reached her maiden Wimbledon final.
Svitolina’s efforts amid war in her homeland of Ukraine and only nine months after giving birth to daughter Skai have been one of the stories of the tournament.
But she was quickly on the backfoot in her quest to reach a first major final and was unable to battle back against 24-year-old Vondrousova, who broke three times in the opening set en route to a 6-3 6-3 success.
Far more at home on clay than grass, Vondrousova is enjoying her first significant grand slam run since she made the final at the French Open in 2019 as a teenager before losing to Ashleigh Barty.
She had beaten Svitolina comfortably in their last meeting in the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and it was the same story on Thursday.
Flying the British flag
Neal Skupski is one win away from a Wimbledon hat-trick after reaching the men’s doubles final with partner Wesley Koolhof.
The Liverpudlian won the mixed doubles in 2021 and 2022 and will have a shot at his first men’s title after a 7-5 6-4 win over Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden on Court One.
One break of serve in each set was enough for top seeds Skupski and Koolhof to get the job done as they booked a Centre Court spot on Saturday.
Shot of the dayQuote of the dayPicture of the dayStat of the day
Ken Skupski has opted to go on his family holiday in Ibiza instead of watching his brother Neal in the Wimbledon men’s doubles final.
Ken, who retired last year, is now coaching his younger sibling and had a conundrum after booking a family getaway to Ibiza that clashed with the finals weekend in SW19.
Neal revealed on Thursday that Ken was contemplating staying at the tournament for as long as he and partner Wesley Koolhof were in it but headed home after their 7-5 6-4 semi-final win over Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden.
He will now provide tactical analysis on their final opponents Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos from the Balearic Islands.
“He has just left,” Neal said of his brother. “His flight is 5am in the morning so he is driving back now and has a 2.30am taxi to the airport so he won’t be here.
“I’m perfectly fine with it, I knew the situation well in advance. He will be on the phone and doing all the homework tomorrow. We are a very good team together so I don’t think it will affect us.
“He has been waiting for this holiday for a couple of years now, Covid pushed it back a little bit, they changed the date twice.
“He doesn’t get to go on holiday often with his family because he is always away with me so I am not going to begrudge him a holiday with his kids. It is just one of those things.”
Skupski is going for a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles after winning the 2021 and 2022 mixed doubles crown.
Winning the men’s would mean more to him and he would become the first Briton to do so since fellow Liverpudlian Jonny Marray did it in 2012.
“It is always nice to have a Brit at the end of the tournament at Wimbledon, luckily it’s been myself over the last couple of years in the mixed doubles,” he said.
“This is the one we want, this is the pinnacle achievement if we are able to get over the line.
“It’s not easy to win a grand slam. It will be nice to have another Liverpool fan win Wimbledon.
“I saw Jonny earlier and asked him if he had any tips for me going into the semi-final. He didn’t give me any, he just laughed and said, ‘You’re number one, you’ll be fine’. So those are the words of wisdom he had for me.
“It is not easy to get over the line. We played US Open final last year and hopefully we can take some experience from that. We are looking forward to it, it’s a chance to get our first grand slam together. We’ll embrace the pressure.”
Seventeen-year-old Henry Searle reached his first junior grand slam semi-final in the boys’ singles at Wimbledon.
Searle, from Wolverhampton, has gone one better than his run at the French Open last month thanks to a 7-6 (3) 6-3 victory over Brazilian eighth seed Joao Fonseca.
Liam Broady and Jack Draper both reached junior finals at Wimbledon in recent years but no British boy has won the title since Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, in 1962.
Ranah Stoiber and Mika Stojsavljevic were both hoping to join Searle in the semi-finals but neither could progress beyond the last eight in the girls’ singles.
Fourteen-year-old Stojsavljevic has had a memorable week on her Wimbledon debut and fought back from 5-2 down in the second set to force a decider against Slovakian fifth seed Renata Jamrichova only to lose out 6-2 6-7 (6) 6-1.
Stoiber, 18, also took the opening set against Czech Nikola Bartunkova, who is in the top 350 of the women’s rankings, but fell to a 1-6 6-1 6-2 defeat.
British duo Isabelle Lacy and Hannah Klugman, meanwhile, are through to the semi-finals of the girls’ doubles.
Ons Jabeur is through to a second consecutive Wimbledon final after coming from a set down to beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.
The Tunisian sixth seed, last year’s runner-up, won 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-3 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, and likely to the relief of the All England Club and Buckingham Palace.
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 Elina Rybakina in last year’s final, but believes she is a different player 12 months on.
She said: “I’m working a lot with my mental coach who’s been helping me a lot and I might be writing a book about it.
“I’m very proud of me, the old me maybe would have lost that match but I’m glad I kept digging deep and finding the strength.
“I’m learning to transform bad energy into good energy. After the anger of the first set I just tried to stay focused. I’m accepting it, digging deep to go and win this match, and hopefully this tournament.”
Jabeur led the first-set tie-break but dumped a backhand into the net and then sent a forehand long as Sabalenka forged ahead.
She seemed set to capitulate at 2-2 in the second, slipping to 0-40 before a double fault put Sabalenka in control.
But Sabalenka tightened up horribly and a double-fault gave Jabeur break point which she converted for 4-4.
With the Centre Court crowd right behind her, Jabeur somehow saved a break point by staying in a ridiculous rally until Sabalenka smashed a forehand wide, and then levelled the match with an unstoppable return on to the baseline.
The 28-year-old piled the pressure on the Sabalenka serve and won a nerve-jangling game with a third break point to go 4-2 up in the decider.
Sabalenka saved two match points on serve but Jabeur finished the job behind her own with an ace before raising her arms in triumph.
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