Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Novak Djokovic to Win Second Wimbledon Men’s Singles Title
The Spanish tennis prodigy previously won Wimbledon in 2023
Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Novak Djokovic to become 2024 Wimbledon champion, taking home his second trophy from the prestigious tennis tournament. On Sunday, July 14, Alcaraz, 21, beat Djokovic, 37, in straight sets of 6-2 6-2 7-6 (4) during the Wimbledon men’s singles final on Centre Court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, in London England.
Though he won the first two sets, at one point in the third set, the players were on equal footing with five games each. However, Alcaraz pushed through the intense tiebreaker and won the highly coveted title. Following the match, Alcaraz called back to an interview he gave at 11 or 12 years old where he said it was his dream to win Wimbledon. “I’m repeating my dream…” he said, as per CBS Sports.
“I’ve said it before, for me this is the most beautiful tournament, the most beautiful court and obviously the most beautiful trophy.” Djokovic, meanwhile, praised his opponent for an “absolutely deserving” win. “He had it all today… He was an absolutely deserving winner today,” he said. “Huge congratulations to him for amazing tennis.” “You are only 21 years of age. This is incredible, keep it going. We’ll see a lot of you, I’m sure.”
Kate Middleton, who serves as the patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, handed out the trophies to the athletes. After speculation about whether or not the Princess of Wales, 42, would appear at the tennis tournament amid her cancer treatment, as she focuses on her recovery, Kensington Palace confirmed on Saturday, July 13, that she would attend on July 14.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. This isn’t the first time Alcaraz has won Wimbledon — or the first time he won in the finals against Djokovic. In 2023, he broke Djokovic’s four-time winning streak at Wimbledon, along with his 34-time winning streak overall.
Had Djokovic won, he would have tied Roger Federer with eight Wimbledon titles. As well as those victories, Alcaraz previously won the French Open in June 2024, fulfilling a childhood dream, as well as the US Open in 2022. The tennis prodigy told PEOPLE about what he did following the US Open. “I had a dinner with all the people that were here watching,” Alcaraz said in August 2023 about his post-win celebrations. “And I got a tattoo as well!”
The tattoo features the date he won the tournament. Between his left shoulder and elbow, located on his tricep reads “11.09.22.”
He also said that getting the tattoo was “the best” way to celebrate a major title, plus taking some time off from the sport. “For me, the best thing to do after a good victory is just to spend time at home with your family, friends that you are not usually with during the year,” he says. “So just spending time with them at home.”
