Carlos Alcaraz pulled off one of the biggest wins of his promising career yet, beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships to win his maiden SW19 title.
After losing the first set against the Serb on Sunday, Alcaraz crawled back into the contest by taking the next two sets. However, not one to give up, Djokovic took the fourth set to force a decider. Thankfully, an early break of serve and a surprising lack of nerves with history on the line ensured Alcaraz got home with a 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win.
With the win, the World No. 1 won the second Major of his career, having previously won the US Open last year. He also became the second man to beat Djokovic in the final at Wimbledon (first being Andy Murray in 2013) as well as the first to beat him on Center Court in 10 years.
Tennis fans on social media were elated at the result, dubbing it a “passing of the torch” moment from the Big-3 era to the current generation. Alcaraz also beating the four-time champion in a best-of-five clash, widely considered the format where he is the most difficult to outlast, led to many claiming that the 20-year-old was the undisputed best player in the world at the moment.
“I can’t imagine a better “passing of the torch” moment than Carlos Alcaraz beating Novak Djokovic in five sets in the final of Wimbledon. What a player, what a match, what a moment, what an era.”
“Carlos Alcaraz! The undisputed best player in the World! The BEST!!”
Here are a few more reactions from fans:
Carlos Alcaraz retains World No. 1 spot with Wimbledon final win over Novak Djokovic
In addition to the title, the World No. 1 spot was also on the line when Carlos Alcaraz took on Novak Djokovic in the final at Wimbledon. With the win, the two-time Grand Slam champion will now retain his spot, while Djokovic remains No. 2.
The 20-year-old has 9,675 points to his name following his SW19 triumph. Djokovic, on the other hand, is less than a 1,000 points away and has 8,795 ranking points with him. Daniil Medvedev stays No. 3 after his run to the semifinals at the grass-court Major, the first of his career, and Casper Ruud remains No. 4 despite his early exit from Wimbledon.