Eight days ago, 128 men began competing in singles at the French Open. Honestly I dont know the difference, Alcaraz said. Commentary for select matches will come from Nines Wide World of Sports team, featuring Roz Kelly, Todd Woodbridge, Jelena Dokic, Samantha Stosur, Brenton Speed and Brett Phillips. He's taken one so far. He dominated the second-set tie-break, raced through the third and showed his trademark mental grit to close out the match, winning eight successive points from 4-4 before wrapping up victory with an ace. . The highest number ever recorded was 302, and the lowest number 222. "I just wish it never happens again. However, many have tipped the Spanish 20 year-old sensation to down his Serbian rival with the current world No. He doesnt often speak of taking any special pleasure from beating players whose legs have so many fewer miles than his do, players who really should be sending off an opponent in the second half of his thirties. Neither man wanted to bend. Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other twice before in their careers and their head-to-head record currently stands at 1-1. ", Sport's Strangest Crimes investigates the sensational allegations behind the athlete's mysterious death, Her creators, Ruth and Elliot Handler, reveal it all, Michael Mosley weighs in on whether pumping iron is good for you, Dr Matthew Walker shares his tips for getting more sleep. Long sets. Alcaraz forces deuce but another Djokovic ace puts him a game away from the final! The 23-time Grand Slam champion may have mellowed, but he is as determined as ever to win his favorite title again. He moved out front for good by breaking to go up 2-1 in the fifth with a backhand passing winner. Then Djokovic sends a volley long as he tries to deal with the fierce pace of an Alcaraz shot, giving his opponent a sixth break point. Carlos Alcaraz is immediately on the back foot as Novak Djokovic wins the first two points of the third game with ease before smashing a shot against the top of the net and away to make it 30-15. On the balance of his incredible career, it's actually not particuarly surprising that Novak Djokovic immediately breaks back. This game begins with Carlos Alcaraz sending a drop shot wide but recovering to move ahead. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali), Spains Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after beating Serbias Novak Djokovic to win the final of the mens singles on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. Six months ago, having just won the Australian Open one year after being deported from the country, Novak Djokovic collapsed in the arms of his family and his coaches in a moment of strained ecstasy. They have played four matches and Alcaraz has won them all. Now Djokovic briskly holds at the expense of only a point. After defeating his idol Nadal in the quarterfinals on Friday, the 19-year-old Alcaraz rallied to beat top-ranked Djokovic 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) after more than 3 1/2 hours on Saturday to reach the Madrid Open final. He doesn't have to. This is just ridiculous tennis from Alcaraz and Djokovic #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/JU0fwJQPil. He is playing Novak Djokovic next and is coming out with these words. He had drawn even with Rafael Nadal in the race for most Grand Slam singles titles. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, who have played each other only once, will finally do so again on Friday in the French Open semifinals. One of several reasons to like Djokovics chances at that juncture: He went into Sunday with a 10-1 record in five-setters at Wimbledon and 35-9 at all majors. Cue Djokovics fist pump, his pounding the grass, his waves to the crowd. How many times has Carlos Alcaraz played Novak Djokovic? He relished the prospect of Sundays match with Musetti, his smile breaking out and his eyes lighting up as he spoke of playing another flashy upstart. Alcaraz broke his serve five times over the five sets, after Djokovic had only lost three service games in his six matches en route to the main event. Novak Djokovic responds with a thumping backhand to take it to deuce, and responds with an animated celebration. With Djokovic seeded third after injury issues in the build-up to Roland Garros, the draw pitched him in the same half as the youngster who has replaced him as the world's leading player. Jannik Sinner, the rising Italian star, lost to Djokovic in the semifinals. Just as he did in their meeting in Madrid, he takes the second set 7-5! That one was extraordinary for two sets before Alcaraz cramped up and faded. Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will face Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals after crushing Stefanos Tsitsipas to set up the highly anticipated clash. Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic get rematch in Wimbledon final - The Novak Djokovic wins the first point of this set with a supremely stylish cross-court volley, then goes long for 15-15. 23 and jetted off to the Azores for a hiking vacation with his wife. You are not going to have your victories handed to you and I'm glad to have overcome it today. Let's try to summarise: Alcaraz makes a promising start by beating Djokovic with a forehand winner, but is then pegged back as Djokovic comes to the net successfully. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth), Serbias Novak Djokovic reacts after losing a point against Spains Carlos Alcaraz during the mens singles final on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. It's safe to say, after Alcaraz's 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) win, in three hours and 35 minutes, that the match and his performance lived to up to all of those expectations, and may have added a . Final in sight #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/wTMVWZazDg. View the full player profile, include bio, stats and results for Carlos Alcaraz. The rivalry between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz is just getting started, but already it's one of the most exciting in tennis. Few first meetings in tennis history were as highly anticipated as the semifinal that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic played in the Caja Magica in May. Novak Djokovic, as you might anticipate from by far the elder statesman of these two, has looked the more confident and composed during the opening to this match and now the break he's been threatening arrives! Madrid was just his fourth event of 2022, and he had looked a little shaky physically up to that point. Carlos Alcaraz won the Wimbledon men's singles title for the first time by ending Novak Djokovic's recent dominance with a stunning victory. "He's pumped up. Alcaraz went on to win the tournament, moving him higher in the world's top. "He's shotting salt," Naomi Broady tells BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra of Carlos Alcaraz, who is surely now looking to recover in time for the fourth set as he slumps around the court. Now they are six sets away. It's all-but immaterial, though, as he's 40-15 up when he blunders and looking on commanding form. Whether Alcaraz can finish this game looks doubtful. After hammering world number five Stefanos Tsitsipas with a composure that bordered on nonchalance in the semifinals, Alcaraz had been tipped by many to become the first player to beat Djokovic at a Grand Slam since 2021 apart from Nadal, who is the most successful men's singles player in French Open history but is absent this year through injury. Djokovic signed autographs after his match. Photos you can hear #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/dFNo3gS0jO. Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other twice before in their careers and their head-to-head record currently stands at 1-1. He is superhuman. While Alcaraz was locking down, Djokovic was losing some control. Won't play Nadal at all Votes: 1 4.3% Won't play Djokovic at all Votes: 1 4.3% Will play Nadal once or twice Votes: 7 30.4% Will play Djokovic once or twice Votes: 9 39.1% Will face one/both of them multiple times Votes: 14 60.9% Total voters 23 jl809 Hall of Fame Feb 18, 2023 #1 Carlos Alcaraz's part-recovery from his cramp has been admirable, and he races to the net to flick a lovely forehand drop shot deftly beyond Novak Djokovic. You always follow the top guys in your half, how theyre playing, he said. "For Novak to move like his is is incredible.". It didn't matter. Rarity ahoy: Djokovic double-faults! Last year, it was a quarterfinal match against Nadal, who also has 22 Grand Slam singles titles. 14 Jul 2023 Novak Djokovic [2] beats Jannik Sinner [8] 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4)! Djokovic easily handled Jannik Sinner, the rising Italian star who is supposed to be one of the special talents of the sports next generation, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4), setting up a mens singles final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. Djokovic has long been the master of match management at Grand Slam tournaments, which require men to win seven best-of-five-set matches to claim the title and almost always separate the great from the very good. Now he has another Grand Slam title in his sights, and the 20-something upstarts want to topple him before he eventually exits the game. July 14, 2023 at 5:18 p.m. EDT. In 2025 Djokovic will be 38 years old. Instead, it was Alcaraz who reined in his sometimes wild shot selection, and hit with more clarity than he had all day. Over and over they scrambled and slid from alley to alley, and from baseline to net. They want to win, but it aint happening still, Djokovic said on the court when it was over. Spains Carlos Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after beating Serbias Novak Djokovic to win the final of the mens singles on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. But Djokovic wins three in a row, including an inspired forehand from the baseline, to bring it to 40-30. "Its just incredible. He stops and chats. Walking on the streets of So Miguel or the grounds of the All England Club, from the practice courts to the locker room, he no longer stares mainly at the ground, moving purposefully past the passers-by. Visit Official Site Age. "This match is what everyone wants to watch and it will be a good one to play," said world number one Alcaraz. 3 Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to make his way to his . Nadal is the only player to have beaten Novak Djokovic at a grand slam since 2021, but Djokovic now faces what many expect to be the toughest test of that record against Carlos Alcaraz, the 20-year-old world number one who possesses extravagant shot-making skill and is being hailed as Djokovic and Nadal's successor at the top of the sport. Djokovic is probably the player you want to meet least in this situation. He played Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer a total of 109 times, with head-to-head edges against both. Pretty much everyone has been focused on two of them. Great shot-picking aside, that is as uneventful a sequence as we've seen in this showdown. Carlos Alcaraz pumps his fist after recovering from 15-30 - caused by a sublime backhand from Novak Djokovic in response to his opponent's first ace of the match - to hold serve with a forehand into space after Djokovic doesn't make the most of a volley. In the third set, both men fell behind on their serves, and both found ways to survive. Djokovic has battled a sore elbow recently. In his nearly 20-year career, Djokovic has lost just five times at a Grand Slam tournament after winning the first set, and just once after winning the first two. . Carlos Alcaraz defeats Novak Djokovic in epic Wimbledon men's singles Novak Djokovic wins the third set. Never doubt Novak @DjokerNole gets the better of Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to reach a 34th Grand Slam final.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/fefJZKKMxn. Djokovic sends a shot into the net to - somewhat remarkably - give Alcaraz break point. They have played four matches and Alcaraz has won them all. It's a first successful game in 11 attempts for Carlos Alcaraz, partly because of some wild swinging from Novak Djokovic, sealed with a return of serve that drops long. Even the best players have bad days. Djokovic has won . Alcaraz is not best pleased with himself after going ahead again and then lashing a volley into the net, and Djokovic follows suit by finding the net himself. Of course youre looking, youre analyzing everyones game., Yes, he is focused on himself, he said, but of course I do keep in mind what the others are doing.. Why did Alcaraz get to bask in the crowds chants for their nations new tennis hero, while Djokovic hurried away, head down, in frustrated defeat? Electrolyte effectiveness could decide this match. But if this victory on a windy and cloudy day is any indication, Alcaraz is on his way to achieving quite a bit himself. It was at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid in 2022, in which Alcaraz won. For 15 years, Djokovic dedicated his career to being better than them not just for one match or one tournament, but forever. By Ava Wallace. You Get to Play Djokovic and Alcaraz. How many prisoners did Alcatraz have at any given time? "Novak Djokovic looks so stoic and strong. Djokovic was not happy about that, or with being called for taking too long to hit his serve a few moments later. That said, on Sunday, Djokovic and Alcaraz delivered performances and self-assessments about them that lent an air of near inevitability to a coming showdown. A fine forehand rescues him at 30-40 and set point to Djokovic, then a beautiful backhand forces Djokovic to serve for the set. But how much is a game like this going to take out of Alcaraz's legs? While the youngster has the talent to beat the seven-time Wimbledon champion, he will have to win the battle of wills Tumaini Carayol at Wimbledon Sat 15 Jul 2023 13.00 EDT Last modified on Fri 21 . A set . Djokovic. Djokovic takes a well-deserved bathroom break. Carlos Alcaraz set for another shot at toppling monumental Novak Djokovic (AP Photo/Alastair Grant), Serbias Novak Djokovic cries after losing to Spains Carlos Alcaraz in the mens singles final on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. Then it was showtime, as Alcaraz, the 20-year-old world No. Its different playing someone youve beaten a few times before, but they havent played that many times. What do you know? "He deserves his success, no doubt. Alcaraz played with an electricity, unfazed by losing the first set 6-1. Alcaraz claimed his first title at Wimbledon and second Grand Slam trophy overall. Thats for sure., AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports. Ben Miller 09-06-2023 26 min read Getty Novak Djokovic said he was "incredibly proud" after moving one match away from a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title by seeing off a spirited effort. It was at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid in 2022, in which Alcaraz won. He wins a point back after going 0-15 down but it isn't long before the familiar sight of an unforced error - this time sending a shot long - gives Djokovic a commanding lead on serve. "Alcaraz looks like he has the edge, but I wouldn't write Djokovic off.". Key points: Carlos Alcaraz won his second career grand slam singles title. I had to match that. Alcaraz is surely about to go out of this tournament but he hasn't given up when it must have been tempting. He can't get back to his seat and he's dropped his racket to the ground. Spain's Alcaraz, 20, fought back from a nervy start to . It was one game, yes, but seemed meaningful. Releasing Keiko, the killer whale of 'Free Willy': The story of how the Hollywood icon was let back into the wild. Djokovic to Face Alcaraz in Wimbledon Final After - The New York Times Novak Djokovic VS . Ben Miller is a content producer for The Sporting News. Andy Murray, a friend and boyhood rival from Djokovics teenage years in junior tennis, has a metal hip and cant get past the first week of Grand Slams anymore. After beating Daniil Medvedev in a straight-sets semifinal win Friday . 1 hour to go:Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' coverage of the most anticipated match at Roland-Garros so far this year! It offered a chance for a young player to show that he could be a worthy heir to Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, by becoming the first person to beat them back-to-back on clayin front of his home fans, to boot. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic to Meet in - The New York Times You won't need me to tell you that he's showing his satisfaction with that. At 3-3 in the second set, Djokovic reached 30-30; Alcaraz hit two straight drop shot winners. Now, the 20-year-old Spanish star, the only player younger than 27 with a Grand Slam title, gets another chance against an even more relaxed Djokovic, playing his ninth Wimbledon final. At 4-all in the second set, Djokovic slipped on a worn patch behind the baseline under the Royal Box, flinging his racket away as he fell. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. Carlos Alcaraz hits a return to Novak Djokovic on his way to a semifinal win at the Madrid Open tennis tournament. His kick [at] altitude here is huge, and it was just difficult to deal with his ball, and I wasnt feeling my return from [the backhand] side. Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon, his second - NPR (John Walton/PA via AP). I had to take the ball early because, if I hadn't done that early, he would have been the aggressor. Alcaraz showed off every bit of his many talents, including winning 17 of 20 points when he serve-and-volleyed, while beating No. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant), Kate, Princess of Wales chats with Princess Charlotte as they sit in the Royal Box on Centre Court for the final of the mens singles between Spains Carlos Alcaraz and Serbias Novak Djokovic on day fourteen of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Sunday, July 16, 2023. Last Time Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic Had a Match, the Spanish No. That is how long it took for Djokovic to break Sinners serve. And all of that took place before he became this nearly invincible version of Djokovic. Since the very first day, weve been waiting for the match, he told Eurosport. The two have faced one time prior to the French Open. Carlos Alcaraz overcomes Novak Djokovic in five-set thriller to win Poor Carlos Alcaraz has forfeited a game because he's had to receive treatment for cramp, which means he's a break behind. Djokovics decision not to get vaccinated against Covid-19 forced him to miss the hardcourt tournaments in North America last summer and this spring. He does, however, hold. C. Alcaraz vs. N. Djokovic Madrid 2022 Semi-Finals - ATP Tour Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in action during the second set of the 2023 Wimbledon championship match. Sure, the fans pull for his opponents, especially early on, when the beatings begin and perhaps some charity applause or any kind of support will extend the match a bit and bring a little more value to the Centre Court ticket that might have cost a weeks salary. Dont ask the Spaniard. We went toe-to-toe. Just dont do it when hes about to serve or in the middle of the point. So often, he would hustle and stretch and slide nearly into the splits to get Alcarazs apparent point-ending shots back in ways no one else could. I probably could have lost in three sets.. He displays as varied a game as possible, from his volleying ability to the well-disguised drop shots that helped him get back into the thick of it in the second and third sets. 9 in the world, became the first man to beat Nadal and Djokovic who have combined to win 41 Grand Slam titles in the same clay court event and the 12th on all surfaces . Alcaraz is stretching. He held his nerves very well, Djokovic said. As people in the stands rose to roar, Alcaraz spun around with his right hand to his ear, soaking in the moment. In terms of television channel, Sony TEN will show matches whilst from a streaming perceptive, fans will need a SonyLiv subscription to watch. The two have only played each other once, Alcaraz beating . In terms of live streaming the event, there are also various different options stateside. He wandered behind the baseline to gather himself and control the frustration that would have boiled over and crippled a younger, more impetuous Djokovic. Unflustered by a warning from chair umpire Fergus Murphy for taking too much time to serve, Djokovic pulled ahead 6-5. A glorious volley and a winner from a tight angle gives Djokovic the hold. The Agony of Playing Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic at the French Open - The New York Times Congrats, You Made the French Open. If everything goes right in the quarterfinals for Alcaraz and Djokovic, the two most dominant players on the mens tour, the duel everyone has been waiting for will happen. He has already largely vanquished one generation of future stars Medvedev, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, who generally crumble against him in the Grand Slam events, half-beaten by his aura and his past domination of them before his first forehand sharply angles across the court. It's another fairly routine hold in this set, after all that and Alcaraz is fine. Djokovic, 36, was in danger of falling two sets behind against the Russian but prevailed 4-6 7-6 (7-0) 6-2 6-4. At 19, Carlos Alcaraz just beat Nadal, Djokovic and Zverev : NPR I still feel goose bumps and butterflies and nerves coming into every single match, he said after his win on Friday. Lets have a feast., Matthew Futterman is a veteran sports journalist and the author of two books, Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed and Players: How Sports Became a Business. More about Matthew Futterman, A version of this article appears in print on, Novak Djokovic Relaxes, and Lands in Another Wimbledon Final, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/14/sports/tennis/wimbledon-novak-djokovic-sinner-alcaraz.html.