Carlos Alcaraz, just a couple of months past his 21st birthday, is already well-acquainted with Grand Slam success.
On Friday, Carlos Alcaraz moved a step closer to his second consecutive Wimbledon title and fourth major championship overall. He overcame a shaky start to defeat Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals at Centre Court.
“I feel like I’m not new anymore. I feel like I already know how I’m going to feel before the final. I’ve been in this position before,” Carlos Alcaraz said. “I will try to do the things that I did well last year and try to be better.”
As in the previous year, his opponent in the title match will be Novak Djokovic. Djokovic advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory in the second semifinal against No. 25 seed Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic won 15 of 16 points at the net in the first set and finished 43 for 56 in that category.
This will be the first time the same two men meet in consecutive Wimbledon finals since Djokovic faced Roger Federer in 2014 and 2015.
Djokovic, who hadn’t reached a final at any tournament all season and underwent surgery in June for a torn meniscus in his right knee, will be vying for his eighth championship at the All England Club. This would tie Roger Federer’s record for the most by a man and put Djokovic one behind Martina Navratilova’s record of nine. A win would also make the 37-year-old Serbian the first player in tennis history to achieve a career total of 25 Grand Slam titles.
“I know what I have to do,” Carlos Alcaraz said. “I’m sure he knows what he has to do to beat me.”
