The 2024 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final will be a repeat of last year’s championship match with Novak Djokovic looking to take back his crown and earn a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title. Alcaraz’s 1-6 7-6 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory saw him break the “Big Four” streak at the tournament and gave him what was his second slam title at the time.
He started the tournament slowly but it’s fair to say that Djokovic is in title winning form now. He followed up his impressive win against Holger Rune by putting in a strong display against another opponent who had previously caused him trouble. He held his nerve at the big moments in the 6-4 7-6 6-4 win over Musetti, fending off the Italian in a strong second set and saving break point while serving out the match in the third. “I said before the tournament that if I didn’t think I had a chance of going deep in the tournament I probably wouldn’t be playing. The mentality is there, it is ever present and I am just very pleased and thankful to all the team members for helping me.” He said in regards to the injury concerns many had at the start of the tournament.
It was another slow start from Alcaraz in his semi with Daniil Medvedev but he came through fairly comfortably in the end, taking the match in four sets. It’s a matchup that has favoured the Spaniard in the past and once he got into the groove, he was able to take advantage once more. He hit 55 winners in the 6-7 6-3 6-4 6-4 win, moving the Russian around and keeping points short when possible. “I started really nervously. He was dominating the match, playing great tennis with his serve and his return game.” he said. “It was difficult for me but I tried to push out the nerves at the beginning of the second set. It was really helpful to be up 3-1 and after that I could play my own game and enjoy the match a little bit more. I tried to hit great shots, I moved well, so in general I think I played a pretty good match.”
Despite last year’s result, it seems reasonable to say that Djokovic is still the better grass player of the two when both bring their best. He is the bookmakers underdog despite this but will likely thrive under the pressure and having something to prove towards the doubters.
He will need to serve well and attack more in this match though with Alcaraz likely to punish a more passive version of Djokovic. The Spaniard’s level has dipped at times throughout this tournament but he has managed to regain his composure in time to take back control of his matches.
Prediction – Novak Djokovic in five sets
