Wimbledon 2024 LIVE: Tennis result as sensational Carlos Alcaraz retains title with Novak Djokovic demolition
Alcaraz brilliantly defended his title with a straight-sets win over seven-time champion Djokovic on Centre Court
Carlos Alcaraz is a two-time Wimbledon champion after beating Novak Djokovic for the second year in a row to successfully defend his men’s singles title.
The 21-year-old once again denied Djokovic in his bid to win a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon men’s title, as the 37-year-old fell short in his attempts to win a 25th grand slam.
A year on from his epic five-set triumph, Alcaraz produced a masterclass and claimed a fourth grand slam title with a one-sided destruction of most successful men’s player of all time. Alcaraz dominated from the start and came through a nervy third-set tiebreak after squandering three match points to win 6-2 6-2 7-6 in two and half hours.
Alcaraz becomes just the third man in the Open era to win multiple Wimbledon titles aged 21 or under. The Spaniard now has four grand slam titles, and is just the sixth man in the Open era to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same summer.
Elsewhere, Britain’s Alfie Hewett has won the wheelchair singles title for the first time, defeating Spain’s Martin de la Puente 6-2 6-3 to complete the career grand slam. Hewett put his celebrations on hold as he later teamed up with Reid for a sixth wheelchair doubles victory. Barbora Krejecikova won the women’s singles title yesterday after a three-set win over Jasmine Paolini, while British hopeful Henry Patten won the men’s doubles alongside partner Harri Heliovaara.
Follow all the latest scores and match updates from the Wimbledon men’s final below:
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic 0-0 Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has won the toss and chooses to receives the first serve. Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in the title match here last year and is looking to defend his title.
Can he do it?
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
The players are out on court and it’s a wonderful reception for both men. Time for the coin toss!
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
Today’s coin toss will be performed by Cyprian Nelson, 19. representing Carney’s Community, a charity in Wandsworth helping young people to develop skills, discipline and self-respect through boxing, mentoring, youth club activities and social enterprise schemes.
Cyprian Nelson will perform the coin toss at the Gentlemen's Singles Final representing @CarneyCommunity, a charity helping young people in our local community through boxing and mentoring.
— Wimbledon Foundation (@WimbledonFdn) July 14, 2024
Introducing Cyprian... #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/2m3Hu6QWX2
Princess Kate arrives at Wimbledon ahead of men’s singles final
The Princess of Wales has arrived at Wimbledon with her daughter Charlotte ahead of the men’s singles final. Princess Kate was wearing a smart purple dress with gold earrings as she greeted a number of British tennis players including Emma Raducanu and Sonay Kartal.
She waved to the crowds as she crossed the balcony onto Centre Court. This is her second public appearance following the announcement that she was being treated for cancer.
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
Five years ago to the day, 14 July 2019, Novak Djokovic saved two Championship points on his way to beating Roger Federer to win the Wimbledon title, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 13-12 (3).
Federer, at 37, was aiming to win the Wimbledon title for a record-extending ninth time.
Instead, Djokovic won his fifth Wimbledon. Now, five years later and with Djokovic the 37-year-old in the Wimbledon final, the Serbian will be bidding to match Federer on eight singles titles.
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz rank third and fourth in the Open Era in terms of their win percentage at Wimbledon, both currently ahead of Roger Federer in the top 5.
1. Bjorn Borg (51/4) - 92.727%
2. Pete Sampras (63/7) - 90.000%
3. Novak Djokovic (97/11) - 89.898%
4. Carlos Alcaraz (17/2) - 89.474%
5. Roger Federer (105/14) - 88.235 %
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
How about this: Carlos Alcaraz has played 19 singles matches at Wimbledon to date. In those matches, he has won a total of 392 games.
Coincidently, Novak Djokovic had won the exact same amount of games after playing his first 19 Wimbledon matches in the gentlemen’s singles.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and the twist to an epic Wimbledon final rematch
Although it is the rematch he has waited a year for, it was only until a few days ago that Novak Djokovic started to believe he could face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. When the 37-year-old underwent surgery on a torn medial meniscus in his right knee on 5 June, it was assumed that the seven-time champion would miss the tournament he places above all others. There were doubts, he admitted, but because it was Wimbledon, Djokovic did everything he could to make the start line. “I was not thinking about, particularly in the first couple of matches, of the eventual title match,” he said. And yet, here we go again.
Alcaraz is the only player to beat Djokovic in his last 51 matches on Centre Court, his epic five-set victory in last year’s final ending a run of four consecutive titles at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old Spaniard will be the favourite when he faces Djokovic in the rematch, in part due to the Serbian’s knee and any lingering questions over his fitness, but also because of how Alcaraz has inherited Djokovic’s powers of inevitability since capturing last year’s title. If you can beat Djokovic on Centre Court once, you can do it again, and Alcaraz is a stronger, more confident player than 12 months ago.
Men’s final preview
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and the twist to an epic Wimbledon final rematch
There will be an instant rematch of last year’s epic Wimbledon final as Djokovic the underdog takes on the defending champion Alcaraz on Centre Court
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
History on the line - if Alcaraz wins (via ITF)
- Second man to win first four grand slam finals in Open era, after Roger Federer (seven)
- Sixth man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in same year in Open era, after Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic
- Third player in Open era to win multiple Wimbledon titles aged 21 or under, after Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg
- Ninth man to retain Wimbledon title, and fourth this century after Djokovic, Federer and Pete Sampras
- Second Spanish man in history to win multiple Wimbledon titles, after Nadal
Wimbledon 2024: Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
History on the line - if Djokovic wins (via ITF)
- 25th grand slam singles title, to break all-time record ahead of Margaret Court
- 8th Wimbledon title, to equal all-time men’s record with Roger Federer
- 8th Wimbledon title, to become first payer in history to win eight or more singles titles at two different grand slams (also Australian Open)
- Oldest Wimbledon champion in Open era, at 37 years and 53 days
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