It’s always remarkable to see a decade-long streak come to an end. And that’s what happened with Carlos Alcaraz’s 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win over Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon men’s singles final Sunday.
https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1680638479129264128
Not only was that Alcaraz’s first Wimbledon victory, it was the first time Djokovic hadn’t won the event’s men’s singles competition since 2017. It was also the first time since 2002 that the Wimbledon men’s singles title was won by anyone other than Roger Federer (eight times), Djokovic (seven), Rafael Nadal (two), and Andy Murray (two). But perhaps most notably, this snapped a 10-year, 45-match unbeaten streak on Wimbledon’s Centre Court for Djokovic, who last lost there to Murray in 2013:
Andy Murray is here for the Wimbledon final.
The Scot is the last person to beat Djokovic at the Center Court way back in 2013. Bad omen for Djokovic? pic.twitter.com/d6cIxomjuQ
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) July 16, 2023
Alcaraz hands Djokovic his first loss at #Wimbledon Center Court since losing to Andy Murray in the 2013 final🤯
He was on a 45-game winning streak on this court and 34 in the tournament.
The future is now.
What a matchhhhhh!!— Rayane Moussallem (@RioMoussallem) July 16, 2023
At the age of 20 years and 2 months, you are not supposed to be able to do what Carlos Alcaraz just did on Centre Court: not merely beat Novak Djokovic, but in a first Wimbledon final after being down a set and 0-3 in a 2nd-set breaker AND down break point in the 5th.#INNERGAME https://t.co/zRvuxItpaa
— Matt Zemek (@mzemek) July 16, 2023
That’s incredible, especially considering that the 20-year-old Alcaraz was just 10 when the now-36-year-old Djokovic suffered his last Centre Court loss. And it breaks up quite the run of champions by age:
The first man born after 1987 to do what @TrentonJocz just outlined below was born in 2003.
It's absolutely insane to contemplate how tennis players born in a whole decade (the 1990s) have barren trophy cases at the biggest tournaments. https://t.co/OjDEjQp59Z
— Matt Zemek (@mzemek) July 16, 2023
This also continues a good run for the top-ranked Alcaraz, who picked up his first Grand Slam singles title at last year’s U.S. Open and also made the semifinals (where he lost to Djokovic) at this year’s French Open. And there could be much more ahead for Alcaraz, too, with his tennis career seemingly just beginning.
But Alcaraz certainly impressed Sunday, including in a win of a third-set game that took almost 27 minutes. And he came up with his second Grand Slam singles title as a result. And he managed to end a remarkable run from Djokovic in the process.
[Rayane Moussallem on Twitter]
