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Novak Djokovic has dug deep to leave the Wimbledon final at two sets apiece after halting Carlos Alcaraz’s charge on Sunday at the grass-court major.
Djokovic clinched the fourth set to level at 6-1, 6-7(6), 1-6, 6-3 on Centre Court and move within one set of equalling Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns. Alcaraz broke Djokovic three times in the third set as he appeared to take control of a gripping championship match on Centre Court, but the seven-time champion Djokovic held firm to level the match and send the pair’s third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting into a deciding set.
Going ALL the way! 🤩@DjokerNole takes the fourth set 6-3 to force a 5th set!Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Wimbledon | Wimbledon?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/b7To1VY2P8
— ATP Tour (@atptour) July 16, 2023
Alcaraz is chasing his second major title, having triumphed at the 2022 US Open. If he can snap Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon and prevent the Serbian from levelling Roger Federer’s tally of Wimbledon titles, the 20-year-old would become just the fourth active male player to lift the trophy at the All England Club, after Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
Should Djokovic rally to a five-set victory at the All England Club, he would tie former WTA star Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles trophies and stay on course for a historic calendar-year Grand Slam after his victories earlier in the year at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. He would also leapfrog Alcaraz on Monday to reclaim No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday, with Sunday’s final clash a winner-takes-all shootout for top spot.
Home favourite Murray is among those enjoying the action Centre Court, where Hollywood stars Daniel Craig and Brad Pitt, and the Prince and Princess of Wales are also in attendance. With the players now level after three hours, 57 minutes of a thrilling encounter full of extended cat-and-mouse exchanges that have frequently drawn the crowd to their feet, Alcaraz and Djokovic’s third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting appears to be living up to the Serbian’s pre-match prediction of an ‘ultimate showdown’ at SW19.
Alcaraz vs. Djokovic In ‘Ultimate Showdown’ For Wimbledon Title, World No. 1
Set One, Djokovic 7-6(1)
The Serbian produced a masterful first-set performance on Centre Court, where his clean, deep returning piled the pressure on Alcaraz’s delivery. Djokovic converted two of his six break points to deliver an early statement as Alcaraz, whose huge groundstrokes helped him reach his maiden Wimbledon final for the loss of just two sets, was unable to penetrate his opponent’s defence with any kind of regularity.
Djokovic, who dropped serve just three times en route to the final, continued his sensational tournament on serve. He faced just one break point in the set, in the opening game, and at one point responded to Alcaraz attacking his second serve by sending his next one down at 120mph.
The depth of Djokovic’s groundstrokes also prevented Alcaraz from moving forward frequently. The 20-year-old won 28 of 36 points at the net during his stunning semi-final win against Daniil Medvedev, but he only ventured forwards four times in the opening set against Djokovic, winning the point twice.
Set Two, Alcaraz 7-6(6)
After Djokovic’s first-set whirlwind, Alcaraz required a fast response, and he engineered one by claiming his first break of serve in the match in the second game of the second set. It was just the fourth time across his Wimbledon run that Djokovic had dropped serve and, despite that setback, the Serbian remained on course to beat his record-low of six service games dropped en route to a Wimbledon title, which he set in 2015.
Just as Alcaraz appeared to settle and with a supportive Centre Court crowd urging the Spaniard to work his way back into the contest, Djokovic immediately reasserted himself in trademark fashion. He notched his third break of Alcaraz’s serve in the following game, before crucially outlasting his younger opponent in a mesmerising 29-shot rally when break point down at 1-2, 30/40.
The rest of the set passed without another break point, leaving Alcaraz trying to become the first player to defeat Djokovic in a tie-break at a major since Enzo Couacaud in the second round of January’s Australian Open. The Serbian was on the brink of his 15th consecutive tie-break triumph at the majors at 6/5 but Alcaraz held firm behind serve before powering a backhand return winner on his first set point.
Set Three, Alcaraz 6-1
Buoyed by his tie-break triumph, Alcaraz carried the momentum through to the third set as he continued to showcase his full repertoire of shotmaking. His forehand power combined with some stunning deft touches kept the pressure on Djokovic, who made 18 unforced errors in an uncharacteristic third-set performance.
Alcaraz had opened up a 3-1 lead with a single break when one of the games of this year’s tournament, featuring 13 deuces, played out across 27 breathtaking minutes on Centre Court. Alcaraz saved eight game points and Djokovic six break points before the Spaniard converted his seventh to take a 4-1 lead and assume complete control of the set.
The end of the set was far less complicated for Alcaraz, who won eight of the final 10 points to move within one set of becoming just the fifth man in the Open Era to win multiple major titles prior to turning 21. His three breaks of Djokovic’s serve in the third set was equal to the number of games the Serbian had dropped across his six previous matches this year at SW19, an indication of how dialled in the 20-year-old was on return.
Novak Djokovic, Service Games Lost In Wimbledon Title Years
| Year | Times Broken |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2023? | 7(after three sets of final) |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2011 | 11 |
| 2014 | 11 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2019 | 13 |
Set Four, Djokovic 6-3
Djokovic had no intention of fading away in his bid for a historic 24th major, however, and the Serbian raised his game again in the fourth set of what was rapidly becoming an all-time classic final on Centre Court. He recovered from 15/40 to hold in the second game but then rediscovered his rock-solid form from the first set, breaking Alcaraz twice to recapture the momentum and set up a one-set shootout for the title.
Having dropped serve three times in the previous set, The upturn in Djokovic’s service game was key to him coming back into the match. The Serbian saved both break points he faced to prevail in a set in which he struck just nine winners to Alcaraz’s 14.
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