Carlos Alcaraz, just a couple of months past his 21st birthday, is already making his mark in the Grand Slam world. On Friday, he moved a step closer to his second consecutive Wimbledon title and fourth major championship overall by defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals at Centre Court.
“I feel like I’m not new anymore. I feel like I know how I’m going to feel before the final. I’ve been in this position before,” Alcaraz commented. “I will try to do the things that I did well last year and try to be better.”
Alcaraz will face Novak Djokovic in the final, who secured his spot with a 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over No. 25 seed Lorenzo Musetti in the second semifinal. Djokovic was especially effective at the net, winning 15 of 16 points in the first set and finishing 43 for 56 overall.
This will be the first time since 2014 and 2015, when Djokovic faced Roger Federer, that the same two men have met in consecutive Wimbledon finals.
Djokovic, who hadn’t reached a final at any tournament this season and underwent knee surgery in June, is aiming for his eighth championship at Wimbledon. A victory would tie Roger Federer’s record for the most Wimbledon titles by a man and place Djokovic one behind Martina Navratilova’s record of nine. Additionally, it would mark his 25th Grand Slam title, the most in tennis history.
“I know what I have to do,” Alcaraz stated. “I’m sure he knows what he has to do to beat me.”