“I’ve never seen him serve that way,” Novak Djokovic admits to being ‘outplayed’ by Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon 2024 final

Djokovic was beaten to the title at SW19 by Alcaraz for the second year running.

“I’ve never seen him serve that way,” Novak Djokovic admits to being ‘outplayed’ by Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon 2024 final

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz (via Imago)

Seven-time champion Novak Djokovic has admitted Carlos Alcaraz outplayed him in every aspect in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships final. The Serbian lost 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4) on Sunday (July 14) to finish as the runner-up for the second consecutive year.

It was also the second time Djokovic has lost a Wimbledon final in straight sets, with the previous such defeat (6-4, 7-5, 6-4) coming against Andy Murray in 2013. Speaking after his latest defeat to Alcaraz, the 37-year-old stated that he was surprised by the Spaniard’s variety and especially his serve.

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I was inferior on the court. That’s it. He played every single shot better than I did. I don’t think I could’ve done much more, he wasn’t allowing me to have free points on my serve. He played with a lot of variety. I’ve never seen him serve that way. 136. I’ve never seen him serve that fast. He must’ve had a really good serving practice day yesterday. He really outplayed me, he was better than me in every aspect of the game.

Novak Djokovic said at a press conference

Djokovic underwent knee surgery after the French Open and made a remarkable comeback to reach his 37th Major final this fortnight. However, his performance against Alcaraz lacked energy. The 21-year-old thrilled the Centre Court crowd with powerful shots, scoring 42 winners to Djokovic’s 26.

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Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic to defend Wimbledon title

Carlos Alcaraz overcame a late challenge from Novak Djokovic to successfully defend his Wimbledon title. He had three match points at 5-4, 40/0 in the third set but squandered them as Djokovic fought back. However, he stayed strong in the ensuing tie-break to secure the victory in straight sets.

Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon (via Imago)

Unlike their five-set battle in last year’s final, it was more straightforward for Alcaraz this time around. He controlled the game from the start and converted five out of 14 break points, showcasing his powerful return game.

The 21-year-old has put in incredible performances in the last two weeks after coming into the tournament following an early exit at the Queen’s Club Championships. He is now just the second man (after Roger Federer) in the Open Era to win his first four Grand Slam finals. He is also just the sixth man in the Open Era to win both the French Open and Wimbledon titles in the same season, after Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.

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