Wimbledon | Carlos Alcaraz retains his title

The ardor of youth has triumphed over wisdom and experience. For a second consecutive year, Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.

The Spaniard won in three sets, 6-2, 6-2, and 7-6 (7-4).

Alcaraz let three championship points slip away at 5-4 in the third set. The fourth was the winner, in the tiebreaker.

It is a fourth major title for Alcaraz, who also won the French Open last month. That victory in Paris made him the youngest man, at 21, to triumph on three different surfaces – grass, clay and hard – at a Grand Slam.

Djokovic, 37, reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament for a 37^e times despite having surgery to treat a torn meniscus in his right knee just over a month ago.

He was looking for a 25^e major title and an eighth at Wimbledon. He would have joined the Swiss Roger Federer for the most victories in a final on the London grass.

Djokovic was not a shadow of himself throughout the duel. His first serves were ineffective. On the other side of the court, Alcaraz gave him a taste of his own medicine, masterful in return.

As the match progressed, Djoko seemed increasingly bothered by his recently operated knee. He no longer ran certain balls to the net, which were nevertheless accessible. The Serb found a new lease of life in the third set, but the die was cast.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will compete at the Paris Olympics, which will be held from July 26.

More details to come.

With Associated Press