Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is back in the Wimbledon final after a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory on Friday against fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz in London.
On Sunday, the second-seeded Spaniard will face top seed Jannik Sinner of Italy. Sinner swept to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia, a seven-time champion of the grass-court Grand Slam, in the other semi.
Alcaraz owns an 8-4 head-to-head lead against Sinner. It will be a rematch of an epic French Open final in which Alcaraz won a five-set marathon that lasted five hours, 29 minutes.
“Hopefully, it’s going to be a good match like the last one,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “I don’t know if it can be better because I don’t think that’s possible.”
Alcaraz, 22, fought off two set points in the fourth-set tiebreak before finishing off Fritz on a sunbaked Centre Court in two hours, 48 minutes.
“It was a really difficult match as always when I have to play against Taylor. Even tougher with the conditions — it was really hot today,” Alcaraz said. “I’m just really happy with everything that I’ve done today. I dealt with the nerves. Playing here in a semifinal is not easy. I’m really proud with the way I stayed calm and thought clearly. I’m pleased about my level today.”
Alcaraz fired 13 aces and won 88 percent (64 of 73) of the points on his first serve, losing serve only once. Fritz had more aces (19) and more winners (44-38) but had his serve broken three times.
Fritz, 27, fell short of becoming the first American man to reach the Wimbledon final since Andy Roddick in 2009. He has lost all three of his matches against Alcaraz.
Alcaraz extended his career-best winning streak to 24 matches and is attempting to join Swedish great Bjorn Borg as the only men to sweep the French Open and Wimbledon three straight years. Borg did it from 1978-80.
“I’m not thinking about the winning streak or the results at all. This is my dream, stepping on these beautiful courts and playing tennis in the most beautiful tournaments in the world,” Alcaraz added. “That’s all I try to think at every tournament and why I try to bring the joy to the courts.”
Alcaraz is trying to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win at least three straight Wimbledon titles, joining Djokovic, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Borg.
Sinner, 23, needed just one hour, 55 minutes to dispatch Djokovic and reach his first career Wimbledon final.
He had a 36-27 edge in winners and committed 17 unforced errors to Djokovic’s 28.
Djokovic, 38, was bothered by a left thigh injury and was treated for it late in the second set. He won the third three games of the final set before Sinner took over and won the next five games.
Both Sinner and Djokovic had 12 aces. But Djokovic had major trouble on his second serve, winning just 5 of 30 points (16.7 percent). Sinner converted 12 of 19, a cool 63.2 percent.
Sinner said he’s looking forward to his upcoming battle with Alcaraz.
“It’s a huge honor for me once again to share the court with Carlos,” Sinner said. “We try to push ourselves to the limit. He’s one of the players I look up to. I love watching him.”
Meanwhile, Djokovic said he plans to be back at the All England Club next year.
“Hopefully it’s not my last match on Centre Court,” Djokovic said of the loss to Sinner. “I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time.”
The 24-time Grand Slam winner allowed that ailments and age are making it harder for him in the latter stages of big tournaments.
“I don’t think it’s bad fortune, it’s just age,” Djokovic said. “The wear and tear of the body, as much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me the last one-and-a-half years like never before.
“The longer the tournament goes, the worst the conditions get. I reach the final stages — I reached the semis of every Slam this year — and I have to play (someone like) Sinner or Alcaraz. These guys are fit, young, sharp … it’s just not possible to win a match like that.”
–Field Level Media
