Carlos Alcaras (No. 3) of Spain has won two consecutive major competitions, signaling his time. Alcaras beat Novak Djokovic (No. 2) of Serbia by a set score of 3-0 in the men’s singles final at the Wimbledon tennis tournament held at All England Club in London on Sunday.
Alcaras beat Djokovic at Wimbledon last year to lift the trophy. A year ago, the finals were a fierce battle, but Alcaras played one-sidedly. Alcaras, 21, has grown further from last year to become a player close to “flawless” player. Alcaras won the French Open in June and the title at two major tournaments in a row. Only six players have won the French Open on clay and the Wimbledon singles on grass in a single season since 1968. Alcaras is the sixth player after Rod Laver (Australia), Björn Borri (Sweden), Rafael Nadal (Spain), Roger Federer (Switzerland), and Djokovic. Alcaras also went to the finals of major tournaments four times, showing off his concentration to win all four times. 퀸알바
Djokovic, 37, is getting tired faster than ever. He already had surgery on his right knee ahead of the French Open quarterfinals in June. He wore a brace on his knee on the day as well. Djokovic, who has dominated world tennis for a long time following Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, is faltering this year. He has no wins in major tennis or ATP Tour events since 2024. Djokovic and Federer have won eight major titles, the most in men’s singles history at Wimbledon. He has tied for first in major competitions with 24 wins. If he had won this year’s championship, he would have been able to become the top-ranked player in major competitions by both men and women, beating the Margarine Court in the women’s team, but it was not a good chance. Djokovic said, “Today’s Alcaras was overwhelming. He deserves to win.”
“I want to sit at the same table with those big guys,” Alcaras said after the match. He meant that he wanted to go after Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic’s achievements. “I will watch the soccer finals with my family and coaches. I have completed my mission. I will see if the Spanish team is doing it like me,” Alcaras said with a smile. Coincidentally, the European Championship (Euro 2024) final between Spain and England took place on the day. Kick-off was held about three hours after the Wimbledon final.
It is not the first time that a Spanish national team and a male tennis star have won the title together. Rafael Nadal, a senior Spanish player in Alcaras, and the Spanish national team won the title both at Wimbledon and Euro in 2008, respectively. In 2010, when Nadal won his second Wimbledon championship, the Spanish national team lifted the trophy for the first time at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
After confirming his qualification for the Wimbledon men’s singles final on the 13th, Alcaras was booed by British spectators when he said, “It will be a perfect Sunday for the Spanish.” Spain also lifted the trophy by beating England 2-1 on the 15th. Alcaras and Spain’s national soccer team presented their people with a “perfect Sunday.”