Carlos Alcaraz won the Wimbledon men’s tennis singles title for the first time by ending Novak Djokovic’s recent dominance with a stunning victory.
Spain’s Alcaraz, 20, fought back from a nervy start to win 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 against the defending champion.
Djokovic was going for a fifth straight win, an eighth men’s triumph and a 24th major – all record-equalling feats.
But the 36-year-old Serb was outlasted by top seed Alcaraz, who underlined his class by winning a second major title.
“It is a dream come true for me,” Alcaraz, who was playing in only his fourth grass-court tournament, said.
“Even if I lost, I would have been proud of myself. To be able to play in these stages of these occasions – as a boy of 20 years old – is really fast.
“I’m really proud of myself.”
Alcaraz, who won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, celebrated by falling flat on his face after taking his first match point and kicking a ball into the crowd.
His win ended Djokovic’s ten-year unbeaten run on Centre Court. The Serb had also won the past four titles at Wimbledon. Alcaraz is the first new male multiple Grand Slam winner since Stan Wawrinka in 2015. He is also the first man other than Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Andy Murray to win Wimbledon since 2002.
Djokovic said the loss was a “tough one to swallow” but he will “move on”.
The feeling of lifting a runner-up trophy he had watched his opponents hold in the past four Wimbledons hit him hard as the tears then flowed.
The mangled racquet next to his chair was a reminder of the frustration he had taken out on the net post after the key break of serve in the fifth set.
“It hurts,” he said after a chance at record-equalling eighth title ended.
Djokovic, 36, had been seeking to draw level with Roger Federer for men’s singles wins here and with Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam titles but came up short against 20-year-old world number one Alcaraz. (BBC)