Alcaraz beats Djokovic, retains Wimbledon

LONDON: Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz won his second consecutive Wimbledon title after beating Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) at the centre court in London on Sunday. The Spaniard became only the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

Djokovic, who was aiming for the 24th Grand Slam title and the 8th Wimbledon championship, could not rise to excellence in the final yesterday. Injuries also bothered him. Alcaraz, who won the first two sets with ease, faced a challenge from the 37-year-old only in the third set. 21-year-old Alcaraz's performances so far prove that he is a true successor to Spanish legend Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard dominated the game from the very first moment and won the Wimbledon 2024 final in straight three sets.

Alcaraz and Djokovic played out a marathon final at the Centre Court last year that lasted four hours and 42 minutes--the third-longest Wimbledon final in history. Alcaraz picked up his second-ever Grand Slam title after a thrilling battle, ending the Serbian's pursuit of a fifth-straight Wimbledon title.

Carlos Alcaraz, third in the ATP tennis rankings, bagged the French Open men's singles title last month, beating Alexander Zverev in the final.