Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz start to play in the Wimbledon final

Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves in the Men’s Singles Final against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain on day fourteen of The Championships Wimbledon 2023 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 16, 2023 in London, England.
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Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz started play Sunday in the Wimbledon final.

Djokovic is bidding for his record-tying eighth Wimbledon singles championship and fifth in a row. Alcaraz is trying for his first trophy at the All England Club.

Djokovic wants his 24th Grand Slam title. Alcaraz wants his second.

There is plenty on the line when Djokovic and Alcaraz meet each other at Centre Court.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in action during his final match against Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.
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REUTERS

There’s also this: Alcaraz, a 20-year-old from Spain, is ranked No. 1, and Djokovic, a 36-year-old from Serbia, is ranked No. 2. In addition to the Wimbledon trophy, the winner will have the top ATP ranking.

This is a rematch of the showdown between Alcaraz and Djokovic in the French Open semifinals last month.

The first two sets were terrific, and each man won one. But then Alcaraz was overcome by cramping — he said later he thought nerves were the main cause — and Djokovic took the anticlimactic last two sets 6-1, 6-1.

Marketa Vondrousova won her first Grand Slam title on Saturday by defeating Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the women’s final.