Novak Djokovic believes that the chance to make tennis history will give him the 'fuel' he needs to beat Carlos Alcaraz and win his eighth Wimbledon title and a record 25th Grand Slam on Sunday. Just five weeks after having surgery on his right knee, the 37-year-old Djokovic could become the oldest Wimbledon champion in the modern era and avenge his painful five-set defeat to the Spaniard in last year's final.
'I'm aware of what's at stake. Whenever I play a Grand Slam, history is always on the line,' Djokovic said. 'I will use that as motivation to play my best tennis.' On what is expected to be an emotional day, the final will be watched by Catherine, Princess of Wales, who is making only her second public appearance since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year. UK media reports suggest that she will also present the trophy to the winner.
Djokovic is playing in his 10th Wimbledon final and 37th overall in the 75 majors he has competed in. A 25th Grand Slam title would set a new all-time record for both men and women, breaking the 24 titles he currently shares with Margaret Court. 'It's great motivation, but it also brings a lot of pressure and expectations,' Djokovic added. 'Even at 37, competing against 21-year-olds, I still expect to win most of my matches, and people expect me to win 99 percent of them.'
Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon with doubts about his form and fitness. The 22-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner took his Australian Open title and then his world number one ranking, with Alcaraz succeeding him as French Open champion. Djokovic had not reached a final this season before arriving at the All England Club and has yet to beat a top-10 player. His first-round match against qualifier Vit Kopriva came just 27 days after knee surgery, which forced him to withdraw before his quarter-final at Roland Garros.
Before Wimbledon, Djokovic was unsure if he would be able to compete. 'We decided not to discuss my guaranteed Wimbledon participation until a few days before the tournament,' Djokovic explained. 'I understand why people thought it was premature, maybe reckless, but I don't believe it was.'
Alcaraz, 16 years younger than Djokovic, is in his fourth Grand Slam final and aiming to win his second Wimbledon after his 2022 US Open breakthrough and last month's French Open title. His win in the 2023 All England Club final ended Djokovic's 34-match winning streak at the tournament. Alcaraz has had a mixed tournament, defeating Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after coming back from losing the first set for the third time.
He is trying to become the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon consecutively. However, Djokovic has won their last two meetings—in the 2023 Cincinnati Open final and the semi-finals of the ATP Tour Finals. Alcaraz hopes to make it a special Sunday for Spain by winning the Wimbledon final before the national football team faces England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin.
'Being Spanish, it would be a perfect Sunday,' said Alcaraz. 'It's going to be a really fun day for Spanish people watching my final, watching the Euros final.' Alcaraz has been warned to expect a highly motivated Djokovic, who has reached the final with two straight-sets wins, including an injury walkover against Alex de Minaur in the last eight.
Alcaraz does not see himself as the favorite despite the age difference and potential knee issues for Djokovic. 'If he's in the final, it's because he's at a high level,' Alcaraz said. 'I don't see myself as the favorite. The winner will be the one who plays the best in the match and handles the situations better.'
