Carlos Alcaraz, just a few months past his 21st birthday, is already a seasoned Grand Slam contender. On Friday, he overcame a shaky start to defeat Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the Wimbledon semifinals at Centre Court, moving a step closer to his second consecutive Wimbledon title and fourth major championship overall.
“I feel like I’m not new anymore,” Alcaraz said. “I feel like I know how I’m going to feel before the final. I’ve been in this position before. I will try to do the things that I did well last year and try to be better.”
Alcaraz’s opponent in Sunday’s final will be Novak Djokovic, who advanced with a 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory against No. 25 seed Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic, who dominated at the net, winning 15 of 16 points in the first set and finishing 43 for 56 overall, will face Alcaraz for the second consecutive year in the Wimbledon final.
“He’s as complete a player as they come,” Djokovic said of Alcaraz, who won the 2023 final in five sets. “It’s going to take the best of my abilities on the court overall to beat him.”
Djokovic, who has not reached a final at any tournament this season and underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee in June, is aiming for his eighth Wimbledon championship.
This would tie Roger Federer’s record for the most by a man and place Djokovic one behind Martina Navratilova’s record of nine, while making him the first player in tennis history to achieve a career total of 25 Grand Slam titles.
“I know what I have to do,” Alcaraz said. “I’m sure he knows what he has to do to beat me.”
During Djokovic’s semifinal, fans cheered for Musetti, hoping for a longer match as Djokovic let three match points slip away. Despite some distractions, Djokovic ultimately secured his spot in his 10th Wimbledon final and 37th major final overall.
“I don’t want to stop here,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I’ll get my hands on that trophy.”
Musetti noted that Djokovic seemed unaffected by his knee injury, despite wearing a gray sleeve. “He showed that he’s really in great shape, not only in tennis, but physically,” Musetti said.
Alcaraz, after a lackluster opening set against Medvedev, returned to his dynamic, attacking form. Already the first teenager to be ranked No. 1 in the ATP rankings, Alcaraz is the youngest man to win major titles on grass, clay, and hard courts.
He is now one victory away from joining Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg as the only men in the Open era with multiple Wimbledon championships before turning 22.
Alcaraz has already triumphed at the U.S. Open in 2022 and the French Open last month, maintaining a perfect 3-0 record in major finals.
“We’re going to see a lot of him in the future, no doubt,” Djokovic said. “He’s going to win many more Grand Slams.”
On a cloudy afternoon, the No. 3-seeded Alcaraz faced some challenges against No. 5 Medvedev, a 28-year-old from Russia. “I started really, really nervous,” Alcaraz admitted. “He was dominating the match.”
Medvedev took an early 5-2 lead but soon struggled with his play and temper. Alcaraz broke back to 5-4 with a drop shot that the chair umpire correctly ruled had bounced twice before Medvedev reached it, prompting Medvedev’s frustration and a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Despite regrouping to win the first set tiebreaker, Medvedev couldn’t maintain his momentum. Alcaraz took control, securing the decisive break for a 4-3 lead in the fourth set when Medvedev sent a backhand long. Alcaraz’s powerful forehands, often met with gasps from the crowd, resulted in 24 forehand winners, far outpacing Medvedev’s four.
“I was playing well,” Medvedev said, “and just it was not enough.”
As Alcaraz prepares for the final against Djokovic, he stands on the brink of further solidifying his place among tennis greats with another Wimbledon title.
