LONDON, England: Novak Djokovic is poised to make tennis history as he faces Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final on Sunday.
The 37-year-old Serbian aims to clinch his eighth Wimbledon title and a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam victory, just weeks after knee surgery. A win would make him the oldest Wimbledon champion in the modern era and avenge his loss to Alcaraz in last year’s final.
“I’m aware of what’s on the line. Any Grand Slam that I play, there’s always history now on the line,” said Djokovic.
The final will be attended by Catherine, Princess of Wales, marking her second public appearance following her cancer diagnosis. Reports indicate she will present the trophy to the winner.
This match marks Djokovic’s 10th Wimbledon final and his 37th Grand Slam final. Winning his 25th Grand Slam title would surpass the record he currently shares with Margaret Court. “It serves as a great motivation, but at the same time it’s also a lot of pressure and expectations,” Djokovic noted. “Even though I’m 37 and competing with the 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches.”
Despite concerns about his form and fitness, Djokovic has proven his resilience. He arrived at Wimbledon shortly after knee surgery and was uncertain if he would be able to compete.
Carlos Alcaraz, 16 years younger than Djokovic, is in his fourth Grand Slam final and seeks his second Wimbledon title. Alcaraz’s victory in last year’s final ended Djokovic’s 34-match winning streak at Wimbledon. Alcaraz had a challenging tournament, including a comeback victory against Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals, and he aims to become the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.
Alcaraz sees Spain’s national football team playing in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday, making it the ideal Sunday.
As Djokovic and Alcaraz prepare to face off, the world awaits to see if Djokovic will set a new record or if Alcaraz will secure another major title.
