- Sunday, September 08, 2024
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will lock horns in a sequel to last year’s Wimbledon title blockbuster
By: Shailesh Solanki
IN A highly anticipated ‘super Sunday’ match in Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic is set to make history as he bids for his 25th Grand Slam title, aiming to surpass Margaret Court’s record for the most Grand Slam singles titles.
A victory on Sunday (14) would not only secure Djokovic this prestigious milestone but also equal Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s singles titles, making him the fourth player in history to achieve this feat, joining the ranks of Federer, Martina Navratilova, and Helen Wills Moody.
Furthermore, Djokovic would become the first player to win eight or more singles titles at two different Grand Slam events.
Djokovic produced some of his best tennis to outclass Italian 25th seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 7-6(2) 6-4 on Friday (12) to reach the final.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is vying for his fourth Grand Slam title in as many finals. If successful, he would become the eighth player in history to win his first four Grand Slam men’s singles finals and the second in the Open Era to do so after Federer, who won his first seven.
A win for Alcaraz would also see him retain the Wimbledon title, becoming the ninth man in the Open Era to do so. Additionally, he would be the sixth man in the Open Era to claim both the French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same year, and only the second Spanish man to win multiple Wimbledon titles.
Alcaraz finally found his A-game to tame Daniil Medvedev and reach his second straight Wimbledon final, as the champion overcame an erratic first set to beat the Russian 6-7(1) 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Friday.
“I’m aware of what’s on the line. Any Grand Slam that I play, there’s always history now on the line,” said Djokovic. “I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.”
Djokovic will be playing in his 10th Wimbledon final and 37th at the 75 majors in which he has played.
“It serves as a great motivation, but at the same time it’s also a lot of pressure and expectations,” added the Serb.
“Every time I step out on the court now, even though I’m 37 and competing with the 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99% of the matches that I play.”
Alcaraz, 16 years Djokovic’s junior, is in his fourth Grand Slam final and is looking to add a second Wimbledon to his 2022 US Open breakthrough and French Open title from last month.
Alcaraz hopes to make it a super Sunday for Spain by winning the Wimbledon final before the country’s national football team face England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
“Being a Spaniard, yeah, it would be a perfect Sunday,” said Alcaraz. “It’s going to be a really fun day for Spanish people watching my final, watching the Euros final.”
However, regardless of Sunday’s outcome, Jannik Sinner is guaranteed to retain his position as the world No. 1 when the new ATP rankings are published on Monday (15). Djokovic and Alcaraz will hold steady at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, ahead of Alexander Zverev and Medvedev.
(with inputs from AFP)
