After years of false starts, men’s tennis finally has a proper war between the generations. Down a set and struggling simply to avoid embarrassment, Alcaraz rediscovered his unique combination of speed, power, and touch and figured out the subtleties of grass-court tennis in the nick of time. He seized control of the match midway through the third set, gaining a crucial second break of Djokovic’s often unbreakable serve during a game that included 13 deuces. But then Alcaraz rose once more to claim victory, 1-6, 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, not only overcoming Djokovic’s seemingly endless skills and talents but breaking his spirit, too. For Djokovic, the 23-time Grand Slam men’s singles champion who last month finally vanquished his longtime rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, the loss cost him a shot at one of the few prizes he has not achieved — becoming the first man since 1969 to achieve the Grand Slam, winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year.

Source: New York Times July 16, 2023 19:05 UTC