Four things to know about the dream Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz

LONDON | That was the dream scenario, even before the first ball was hit at the All England Club two weeks ago. Carlos Alcaraz against Novak Djokovic, the prince against the king, in the final at Wimbledon, in front of the British monarchy.

The Roland-Garros semi-final between the number 1 and the world number 2 had left us unsatisfied, when the Spaniard had cramped in the middle of the match.

But he learns quickly, very quickly, this 20-year-old prodigy, and faced with the superman 16 years his senior, who still has history at the end of his racket, we can believe that this final will be as legendary as the central on which it will be played on Sunday, around 9 a.m., Quebec time.

Here are four things to know about this matchup.

To match the ultimate mark

At Roland-Garros, Djokovic became the most successful male player in the history of a major tournament, when he carried his 23^e Grand Slam trophy.

This last title, gleaned from the land of an absent Rafael Nadal, allowed him to overtake the Spaniard in this legendary list.

And the Serbian veteran will once again have history at his fingertips on Sunday. With a 24^e triumph, he would equal Margaret Court’s all-time singles record, a mark the great lady has held for 50 years and Serena Williams so often dreamed of, who stopped at 23.

A new coronation would also allow “Djoko” to succeed THE Grand Slam, he who had also triumphed in Australia at the start of the season and who will be able to be in New York in September. A feat of arms that no man has accomplished since Rod Laver in 1969.

Unbeatable on the central

Djokovic has already won seven Wimbledon titles and a victory on Sunday would see him equal Roger Federer’s number of titles at the All England Club.

But if the All England Club is considered the garden of the Swiss, the mythical central court is the backyard of the Serb. He has won his last 45 games there, his last loss on this legendary turf having occurred on July 7, 2013, in the final against the child of the country, Andy Murray. This is the longest streak since the ground opened in 1922.

Ah yes, we forgot: Djokovic also won the last four titles in London.

A third showdown

Alcaraz is far from having the same experience as its rival on the London turf, and even on the turf itself. In fact, before the start of the short grass season, many were wondering how the prodigy would manage on this very special surface.

The Spaniard silenced his detractors by winning the title at Queen’s just before Wimbledon.

But what he still lacks is experience on grass against Djokovic, who is more than a past master on the surface. The two players divided the honors of their first two confrontations, except that these were disputed on clay. The first went to ‘Carlitos’ in Madrid last year, when he was starting to make his name known on the circuit.

Then the second went to “Djoker”, during this Parisian semi-final which never fulfilled the expectations placed on it.

The first rank at I’stakes

Despite very similar courses at Wimbledon – the two players each lost only two sets – the king still seems to have all the cards in hand to keep his throne in London at the expense of the prince of tennis, who is for his part in search of a second major title, after the US Open last year.

If he succeeds, Djokovic will at the same time recover a jewel that has long belonged to him: the first world rank, which the Spaniard and the Serb have exchanged since the start of the season.

Everything is therefore ready for an anthology final. Another at the All England Club.