Carlos gets off to a terrible start then ignites the comeback on the Serbian who abandons the dream of the Grand Slam
“Not in my backyard”, or “not in my garden” Roger Federer must have thought. “Not my record!” Margaret Court must have exclaimed, “Not my Grand Slam!” must have been the thought of Rod Laver. And so, in the end, Roger’s record of eight Wimbledons is safe, as well as the Australian player’s record of 24 Grand Slams and the old Rocket Man remains the last in history, for now, to have won the four Majors in the same season . The year was 1969. Wimbledon celebrates a new young Spanish king, Carlos Alcaraz, who stops Novak Djokovic’s run by beating him 1-6 6-3 6-1 3-6 6-4, becoming the third youngest player at the age of 20 conquer Church Road meadows after Becker and Borg. Carlos thus maintains the throne of number 1 in the world by extending his young reign to 29 weeks.
the debut
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Alcaraz immediately starts strong, with a break point, but the phenomenon from Serbia is saved. Not only that, he inflicts the same lesson reserved for Jannik Sinner on the Murcia lion cub, breaking him immediately and going up 3-0 after consolidating the lead. Carlitos’ forehand doesn’t turn today, many mistakes, just like Jannik, and in an instant he ends up 5-0 down with a double break. Only the strength of desperation allows him to save himself from the bagel, the dreaded 6-0 that he knows of humiliation and that no one, especially a world number 1, would like to see in the Wimbledon final scoresheet. There’s no comeback on the horizon, and Djokovic closes the first set 6-1.
TIPPING
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In the second set Alcaraz restarts holding the serve, perhaps with less weight on his shoulders. Not only that, he has a break point in the 2nd game but Nole cancels it with a winning first, caught at the last in a game played badly on serve. Carlos finds his smile again and is less afraid, he has a second chance of 2-0 and this time he closes. He has to fight and is also betrayed by the tape in the third game, and when he has the ball to make it 3-0 he misses with a forehand. We go to the advantage and then it’s Djokovic who comes forward, taking back the break and letting off steam with a ferocious scream: 2-1. Alcaraz tries to come back and has a break point, the Serbian saves himself after an exchange of 29 shots thanks to the Spaniard’s backhand error, holds for 2-2 and incites the crowd. We also go to the advantage in the 5th game, with Alcaraz serving, but he stays ahead 3-2. Finally in the 7th game Alcaraz holds the serve to zero, without giving anything away to return 4-3 We proceed in balance until the tie break, the watershed of the set. Immediately after a minibreak Alcaraz sinks 3-0, holds his rounds and is helped by Djokovic who misses a drop shot and returns to 3-3. With a short ball like a roller coaster, capable of cutting off the legs even of those watching TV, Carlos goes up 5-4. Nole takes warning for time violation but with a prestigious stop volley he goes 5-5 and then 6-5 for the set point playing another incredible point. Alcaraz is needed, but Nole’s backhand is on the tape, 6-6. Another mistake from the Serbian with his backhand arrives, and this time the set point is for Carlos, in response. Djokovic tries the serve and volley, Alcaraz puts it in with the passerby and wins the 2nd set by breaking the streak of 15 winning tie breaks in the Grand Slams. The Center Court explodes and Carlos charges up: he immediately starts again strong with a break at the opening of the third set, consolidates it and then takes a big risk by conceding two balls in the counterbreak. The first goes out on the net with Nole’s forehand. He wins second to return to the advantages, and with the fake short ball he gets the ball to make it 3-1. Another winning serve and save advantage.
A 25 MINUTES LONG GAME
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Arm wrestling, errors and advantages also in the 5th game in which Nole tries to stay attached and not lose ground. In his box, the eyes begin to frown. From 40-15 to break point, with the crowd shouting “Carlos Carlos”. Alcaraz sticks, but Nole doesn’t close. We return to the advantages and Nole argues with the chair judge about the problem of time in service. The adrenaline rush leads to nothing but a double fault and a second break point for the Spaniard. What a stick again. But this game never ends and there’s a third chance for a double break that Carlitos doesn’t take. The fourth break point comes up, Jelena also stands up to support her husband in obvious difficulty, she continues to the advantages. After 20 minutes the fifth chance of 4-1 for the Spaniard is canceled by an ace. Straight into the net and sixth break point of the game, another tie and 28 points. On the 3-2 ball Nole also wants to recall his son who is not paying attention to the delicate moment. Alcaraz’s fulminant passer to return to the level for the 13th time and seventh ball of the 4-1 after 25 minutes. In the end Nole’s forehand goes out on the tape and Alcaraz scores the double break. A few minutes and the set ends 6-1, with another break suffered by the Serbian.
grand finale
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Fourth set that restarts after a toilet break by Djokovic. Alcaraz finishes down 15-30 and with four consecutive points he keeps his serve for 1-0. The balance breaks in the 5th game with the Serbian who leaps ahead at the third break point and then consolidates for 4-2, then breaks serve again and then the set in Alcaraz closing 6-3 and bringing the match to the 5th . The last Wimbledon final in the fifth set made history, with Djokovic’s triumph over Roger Federer in a dramatic match in which the Swiss had two match points. It starts with break points to be saved by both. However, the balance breaks down in the 3rd game, with Djokovic unable to save himself from the Spanish onslaught. He ends up down 2-1 and breaks the racket. The course does not reverse, the King is Carlitos, the third Spanish Wimbledon champion after Santana and Nadal.
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