It will be an exciting reunion: Defending champion Alcaraz and record Grand Slam tournament winner Djokovic will face each other in the Wimbledon final. Medvedev, meanwhile, raves about the Spaniard.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Last year, Carlos Alcaraz dethroned seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in a spectacular final. Now there will be a rematch on Sunday at Wimbledon.
- While Djokovic is aiming for his 25th Grand Slam victory and eighth Wimbledon title - which would tie the Serb with record winner Roger Federer - Alcaraz could celebrate his 4th Major triumph.
The exciting rematch of the dream final at Wimbledon is perfect. Record Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will play for the coveted trophy for a second time in succession at the most traditional tennis tournament. Djokovic can set further milestones in his career on Sunday with his eighth Wimbledon triumph and 25th Grand Slam title in total.
With his 6:4, 7:6 (7:2), 6:4 win over Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the 37-year-old reached the final of the prestigious grass court tournament for the sixth time in a row. "I don't want to stop here. Hopefully I can hold the trophy in my hands on Sunday," said Djokovic, who will be playing his 37th Grand Slam final in total: "It will take my best tennis to beat him."
Strong after knee injury
French Open winner Alcaraz had previously held his own in his semi-final against Russian top player Daniil Medvedev with a 6:7 (1:7), 6:3, 6:4, 6:4 win after problems at the start. Twelve months ago, Alcaraz had dethroned Djokovic in a high-class, thrilling final.
Djokovic continued his successful path with a brilliant performance against Musetti, which had been considered unlikely after his knee injury. When he arrived in London eight days before the start of the tournament, he himself had doubted whether he would be able to compete at all due to his meniscus tear at the French Open. Nole himself described his appearance in the final at Wimbledon just over five weeks after undergoing knee surgery as "surreal".
«Surreal»
With another victory, the Serb would now equal Roger Federer's Wimbledon record and become the all-time record holder of the men's and women's Grand Slam titles. "Wimbledon has always been a childhood dream for me," said the world number two.
"A fun day"
Alcaraz spread his arms wide after his semi-final success and his parents kissed him in the stands. The 21-year-old is in a Grand Slam final for the fourth time, his record so far is flawless. "I have the feeling that I'm no longer new. I know how I'll feel before the final," said Alcaraz: "I'll try to do the things I did well last year and try to be better."
That he defeated Medvedev in the semi-finals at the All England Lawn Tennis and Crocquet Club, as he did last year, can be a good omen for him, even if it was closer than last year at the same venue. "I'm really happy with my performance. I started off very, very nervous," said Alcaraz with relief. "All in all, I think I played a very good match."
Medvedev raves about Alcaraz
The Russian was asked after the match how Alcaraz compared to the "Big Three". It is not easy to answer this question, as he only played against Federer, Djokovic and Nadal when they were older or over 30 years old, Medvedev noted. It is clear that they are all different types of players, according to the world number 5.
Medvedev explains: "Roger plays on the line. He has his beautiful technique, his strokes, he goes to the net. Novak also plays down the line, but very differently. He has a fantastic defense, like a pinball machine, where the ball comes back to you so quickly. Rafa is completely different. He can be 10 meters behind the line, but he runs to every ball ... Banana shots ... Left-handed."
«He can do everything ... probably the toughest opponent I've ever faced»
"I don't think Carlos has anything on them. It's a different style of play. Carlos is different from many other players ...", the Muscovite states.
"We all have our preferences. Some prefer to defend, others to counter-attack, others are super aggressive. He can do it all. He can sometimes slice ... Even a bad slice, and then he runs and tries to win that way. A lot of times when guys do that, you can hit an easy shot back and they don't want to attack. But that's not Carlos. If you give him an easy punch, you know it's over for you. That's what makes it so exciting." His conclusion: "He can do everything ... he's probably the toughest opponent I've ever faced in my career."
