In the hallowed halls of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, where legends are forged, Carlos Alcaraz cemented his place among tennis’s elite by defeating Novak Djokovic in the 2024 men’s singles final. The 21-year-old Spaniard, already a four-time Grand Slam champion, delivered a masterclass to defend his title, overpowering the seven-time Wimbledon winner 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (4). Now, in a candid reflection featured in his new Netflix documentary, Alcaraz has shared the pivotal self-talk that fueled his victory in the crucial third-set tiebreaker, offering a glimpse into the mindset of a young star navigating the pressures of facing a tennis titan.
Alcaraz’s 2024 Wimbledon triumph was a stark contrast to the five-set epic of 2023, where he outlasted Djokovic in a nearly five-hour marathon. This time, the match was a near-rout, with Alcaraz dominating the first two sets in just 75 minutes. His improved serve, psychological edge at the net, and relentless baseline aggression left Djokovic, still recovering from knee surgery, struggling to respond. “I started the final really well, very focused, and knowing exactly what to do,” Alcaraz recalled, describing his clarity from the outset. Yet, as the third set tightened, with Djokovic mounting a late surge, Alcaraz faced a moment of truth. Serving at 5-4, 40-0, he squandered three championship points, including a double-fault and a wayward forehand, rattled by a spectator’s ill-timed shout. The score leveled at 5-5, and the prospect of a Djokovic comeback loomed.
It was in this high-stakes moment, with the tiebreaker looming, that Alcaraz steeled himself. “With [Novak] Djokovic in front of me, I knew that if I had lost that set, it would be a major setback, because Djokovic would seriously step up his game,” he revealed. “At that moment, I told myself ‘I have to go after him’.” This mantra ignited a shift, propelling Alcaraz to elevate his game in the tiebreaker. He unleashed blistering forehands and pinpoint serves, clinching the set 7-4 and securing his second consecutive Wimbledon crown. “It was difficult for me,” he admitted, reflecting on the nerves that surfaced. “I tried to stay calm. I tried to stay positive.”
The victory was more than a title defense; it was a historic milestone. Alcaraz became the sixth man in the Open Era to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year, joining Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Djokovic in an elite club. “It’s a huge honour for me to be part of those players who have achieved Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year,” he said, acknowledging the rarity of the feat. His win also marked him as the second player, after Federer, to go 4-0 in his first four Grand Slam finals, a testament to his clutch performance under pressure.
Alcaraz’s path to the 2024 final was not without challenges. A forearm injury had hampered his French Open preparations, and his transition from clay to grass was rocky, marked by a loss to Jack Draper at Queen’s Club. “It’s difficult, I’m not going to lie, switching from clay to grass,” he noted after his semi-final win over Daniil Medvedev. Yet, his decision to stay in London and grind through practice sessions paid dividends, culminating in a performance that left Djokovic, in his own words, feeling “inferior on the court.” “He had it all today,” Djokovic conceded, praising Alcaraz’s completeness.
Off the court, Alcaraz’s preparation included a bold choice: a brief holiday in Ibiza after his 2023 French Open semi-final loss to Djokovic. Despite his agent Albert Molina’s reservations—“I tried to explain to him that it might not be the best idea to go to Ibiza for three or four days,” Molina said—Alcaraz embraced the break, returning refreshed to claim his first Wimbledon title. “I end up going, and they know what I’m going there to do,” he quipped, hinting at the balance he strikes between discipline and living life fully.
As Alcaraz looks ahead, his reflections reveal a player growing in self-awareness. “Winning Wimbledon again is amazing, it’s really special,” he said. “I’ve already achieved a lot in tennis, in just a few years of my career, but right now, little by little, I’m also getting to know myself better as a player.” With his fearless mindset and versatile game, Alcaraz is not just chasing titles but carving a path toward greatness, one decisive self-talk at a time.