Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set match Sunday to capture his second Grand Slam title, following his 2022 U.S. Open title.
“Change is inevitable,” Chris Fowler, ESPN broadcaster, said at the match’s conclusion. “Today is the day.”
The four-hour and 42-minute showdown represented a potential changing of the guard, as the 20-year-old Spaniard defeated the 36-year-old Serb. At least Djokovic is playing, making him the only one of the Big Three on the court in 2023 thanks to Roger Federer’s retirement and Rafael Nadal’s injuries. The trio has captured 65 of 78 possible Grand Slams during the past two decades.
Alcaraz is the youngest men’s Wimbledon winner since Boris Becker in 1986. “A dream come true,” Alcaraz said after the match.
The No. 1 world ranking and history were on the line at the All England Club. Djokovic was playing in his record 35th Grand Slam singles final and was seeking his 24th Slam win, which would have topped Serena Williams’ Open Era record. A Wimbledon win by Djokovic also would have given him a shot at the calendar Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in September since he won the first two majors of 2023. Rod Laver was the last man to do that, and it happened 54 years ago.
The highly anticipated match lived up to its billing after the pair’s semifinal matchup at the French Open was derailed when Alcaraz developed cramps. The Wimbledon final included a one-hour and 25-minute second set and a wild 32-point, 27-minute game won by Alcaraz to go up 4-1 in the third set.
A cadre of celebrities was in the stands to witness the final, including Brad Pitt, Ariana Grande, Hugh Jackman, Emma Watson and Daniel Craig. Royalty was also in attendance with the King of Spain, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Alcaraz overcame several trends for the win. Djokovic had won 34 straight matches at Wimbledon and was seeking his eighth crown at the major. He also had 45 straight wins on Centre Court, dating to his 2013 finals loss to Andy Murray, and was 79-1 at Wimbledon when he won the first set, as he did Sunday. Alcaraz had not made it past the fourth round in his two previous trips to Wimbledon but has been a quick learner on grass, which was considered his weakest playing surface; he won the Queen’s event on grass last month.
Alcaraz pockets £2.35 million ($3.08 million) for the victory, bringing his career prize money to $19.7 million. Djokovic earned $1.54 million for the fortnight and is the all-time leading money winner at $171.3 million, $37 million ahead of Rafael Nadal. Djokovic’s career Wimbledon prize money alone of nearly $23 million would rank 20th on the all-time list.
Over the last year, Alcaraz has been tagged as the most likely heir apparent to the Big Three dominance. Wimbledon marked his 11th tournament win since the start of 2022 and 12th overall. Sponsors have gravitated to Alcaraz, who is represented by IMG. His endorsement portfolio includes Nike, Babolat, Calvin Klein, BMW and Rolex. Last month, Louis Vuitton revealed Alcaraz as a brand ambassador.
At Wimbledon, Alcaraz took the next step to fulfilling those lofty expectations.