The Wimbledon men’s singles final between defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and second seed Novak Djokovic takes place at the All England Club on Sunday. The mixed doubles finals will also be contested.Three-times Grand Slam champion Alcaraz landed in Wimbledon as the title favourite following his French Open triumph last month but few expected Djokovic to go far after his Roland Garros run was cut short by a knee injury.However, the 37-year-old, who underwent surgery only five weeks ago, has defied the odds in his bid for a 25th Grand Slam, taking sole ownership of the all-time record he currently shares with Margaret Court.
Djokovic’s steady return to top form in an otherwise shaky season has left fans at the All England Club and the world over salivating at the prospect of another thriller like the one the duo dished out 12 months ago, when Alcaraz won in five sets.”I wasn’t sure until three-four days before the tournament whether I’m going to take part in it. I made an extra effort to recover as quickly as possible just because it was Wimbledon,” Djokovic said.
“I’m really, really happy to make the final because I wasn’t thinking about, particularly in the first couple of matches, the eventual title match.
“I was thinking about moving well, not injuring myself and feeling more free so to say in my movement… In the third and particularly fourth round. I felt, ‘Okay, I’m actually playing close to my best and I can have a shot at the title’.”Last year’s defeat by Alcaraz ended Djokovic’s quest for a fifth straight title that would have left him level with Roger Federer on eight Wimbledon trophies and the Serb will head to the clash on Sunday seeking revenge.
However, he will have his task cut out against an opponent who has never lost a Grand Slam final and is the youngest player in the professional era to win a major on all three surfaces.