Everyone, perhaps, except world number one Sinner, who managed to banish any lurking demons from the darkest recesses of his brain to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory and become the first Italian Wimbledon singles champion.

But unlike that day when three consecutive match points vanished in the fourth set and Alcaraz roared back to win the longest French Open final ever, this time the ice-cool Sinner was never going to be denied.

Alcaraz, who was bidding to become only the fifth man in the professional era to win three successive Wimbledon titles under the watchful eye of Spain’s King Felipe in the Royal Box, saved one match point.

But this time there was no escape for Alcaraz as Sinner fired down an unreturnable serve.

There were no ecstatic celebrations either. Sinner raised his arms to the sky, before consoling the man he de-throned and headed off in time-honoured fashion to embrace those in his box.

“Back in the days when I was young, this was only a dream, because it was so far away from where I’m from,” the man from the Dolomites who could have become a top skier, said on court.

“Emotionally I had a very tough loss in Paris. So I’m very happy that I held my nerves and yeah, it’s an amazing feeling.”

It was Sinner’s fourth Grand Slam trophy and his first title since returning from a short doping ban after testing positive for a banned substance which inadvertently entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.

While Sunday’s duel contained some mind-boggling points, it lacked the twists of last month’s Roland Garros roller-coaster.

It did, though, underline why the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry is set to dominate men’s tennis for the foreseeable future.

Since the start of the 2024, they have won all seven of the Grand Slams on offer, Sinner four and Alcaraz three.

Alcaraz had led their series 8-4 before Sunday, including winning their last five showdowns. So while Sinner was fuelled by a shot at redemption, he also needed to buck that trend.

He did so with a superlative display of craft and skill. He refused to be knocked off track by losing the last four games of the first set and went on to pick apart Alcaraz’s game with a level of tennis his opponent could not match.

GREAT RIVALRY

“Every time we play against each other, I think our level is really high,” Alcaraz, who suffered his first loss in six Grand Slam finals, said. “I don’t see any players playing against each other, having the level that we are playing.

“Really grateful for this (rivalry) because it gives me the opportunity to give my 100% every practice, every day. The level I have to maintain if I want to beat Jannik is really high.”

But for Alcaraz’s astonishing comeback in Paris, Sinner would now hold all four Grand Slam titles, having won last year’s U.S. Open and a second Australian Open in January.

Sinner did benefit from a stroke of luck when Grigor Dimitrov retired while two sets up in the fourth round.

“He caught a break, no question,” his coach Darren Cahill admitted.

But from that point on, Sinner barely put a foot wrong.

Alcaraz, below his best, was always vulnerable to Sinner’s crisp, early ball-striking but still hit back from a slow start and clinched the first set with a stretching backhand sliced winner from an impossible position.

Sinner grabbed an early break in the second though and consolidated it despite a bizarre moment when a Champagne cork popping and landed on the court — prompting loud boos.

Just as Alcaraz sealed the opening set in style, Sinner produced a moment of magic to take the second, whipping an audacious forehand winner at full elastic stretch.

The third set felt crucial and after a lull it was Alcaraz who blinked, dropping serve at 4-4 after a slide and slip on the baseline allowed Sinner to guide away a winner.

Sinner held serve to move one set from history but after what happened in Paris, the finishing line still felt far away.

But the usual Alcaraz exuberance was missing and he was scowling after Sinner clubbed away a backhand winner off a short second serve to gain an early break in the fourth and his mood darkened as Sinner held serve for 4-2 lead with a net cord.

Sinner survived a huge test of his nerve at 4-3, 15-40 when a break may have re-ignited Alcaraz but he showed remarkable composure to take the next four points.

The biggest examination came at 5-4 though with Sinner obliged to serve for the title and he passed it with barely a backward glance.

In the day’s appetiser, eighth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens beat Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko 3-6 6-2 6-4 in the women’s doubles final.

-Reuters

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Italian Sinner lost both his previous Wimbledon duels with Djokovic but turned the tables in emphatic fashion as his power and precision proved too much for the seven-time champion who, at 38, looked every bit his age in a humbling 6-3 6-3 6-4 loss.

In his first Wimbledon final, the 23-year-old Sinner will face Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in a tantalising re-match of their recent French Open humdinger which the Italian lost after battling for more than five hours, squandering three championship points.

Alcaraz stayed on course for a Wimbledon three-peat with a 6-4 5-7 6-3 7-6(6) defeat of Taylor Fritz.

“I don’t know what to expect, you saw the last final and you never know,” Sinner, just the third Italian to reach a Wimbledon singles final and hoping to become his country’s first champion at the grasscourt slam,” said on court.

“It’s a huge honour to share the court with Carlos, we try to push ourselves to the limit. I love watching him. Hopefully it will be a good match like the last one, I don’t know about better, I don’t think that’s possible.”

Djokovic, who arrived in London bidding to equal Roger Federer’s men’s record eight Wimbledon titles and claim an unprecedented 25th major trophy, had not lost an All England Club semi-final since the Swiss got the better of him in 2012.

But his 52nd Grand Slam semi-final proved a bridge too far as Sinner repeated his victory at the same stage of Roland Garros to confirm that a new order has now firmly established itself at the top of men’s tennis.

Djokovic has often looked superhuman on Wimbledon’s most historic stage, but on Friday Father Time chased him down as he looked defenceless against a sublime Sinner who dropped only six points on serve in the first two sets.

He briefly stemmed the tide in the third set to move 3-0 ahead but it proved an illusion as Sinner, bidding to add the Wimbledon title to his two Australian and one U.S. Open crowns, nipped any hope of a famous comeback in the bud.

STRUGGLE PHYSICALLY

Djokovic appeared to struggle physically in the closing stages after needing treatment and Sinner wasted no time in putting the old warrior out of his misery in less than two hours to complete his set of Grand Slam finals.

Sinner joined in the applause as Djokovic left Centre Court, giving a thumbs up to a cheering crowd who may have thought they had witnessed his last Wimbledon hurrah.

Djokovic, who has reached the semi-finals of every Grand Slam this year — retiring against Alexander Zverev in Australia and losing to Sinner in Paris and now here — later said he plans to be back, but admitted the wear and tear of battling the new generation takes its toll.

“When I’m fresh and fit I can still play really good tennis but playing best of five, particularly this year, has been a struggle physically,” he told reporters.

“The longer it goes, the worse the condition gets. I reached the semis of every slam this year but had to play these guys who are fit and young and I feel like I go into the matches with the tank half empty.

“It’s just one of those things I need to embrace and deal with the reality.”

The day’s second semi-final had been given top billing but it proved an anti-climax for the fans, many of whom chanted “Nole Nole” as the match sped away from Djokovic.

Sinner’s net-skimming, line-hugging ground strokes — the sort that come straight from the Djokovic textbook — were suffocating on a boiling Centre Court, while his serving was untouchable. With 41 minutes on the clock, Sinner was a set and a break ahead and in complete control.

Djokovic, who slipped on match point of his quarter-final win against Flavio Cobolli and missed his training session on Thursday, required treatment at the end of the second set.

Just for a while it seemed Sinner’s fire had been doused as he lost concentration, but this time there was to be no Djokovic fightback as his resistance faded quickly.

Alcaraz faced a more troublesome afternoon taming the big-serving Fritz in fierce heat and had to save two set points in the fourth-set tiebreaker to avoid being dragged into a decider.

Looking ahead to the final, he said: “Just going to be a great day, a great final. I’m just excited about it.”

-Reuters

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Alcaraz now has four Grand Slam trophies with a perfect record in major finals, after his two Wimbledon triumphs, his U.S. Open victory in 2022 and his French Open win last month.

Defeat denied Djokovic a 25th Grand Slam title to surpass Margaret Court in the all-time list and also equal Roger Federer’s haul of eight men’s singles titles at Wimbledon.

Alcaraz pounced on his fifth break point in a tight first game that lasted 14 minutes, before the 21-year-old third seed dropped the hammer and powered through the opening set on the back of some solid serving.

Second seed Djokovic came under more pressure at the start of the next set as Alcaraz bullied the 37-year-old in the early exchanges to break and capitalised on his service woes for an imposing two-set lead.

Djokovic and Alcaraz went toe-to-toe until 4-4 in the third set before the Spaniard broke with a big backhand winner to take a 5-4 lead. However, despite being 40-0 up, he squandered three match points and dropped serve.

He tamed his nerves to clinch victory in the tiebreak when Djokovic crashed a return into the net.

-Reuters

2024 Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) beat Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 6-2 6-2 7-6(4)

2023 Alcaraz (Spain) beat Djokovic (Serbia) 1-6 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 6-4

2022 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Nick Kyrgios (Australia) 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6(3)

2021 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Matteo Berrettini (Italy) 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 6-3

2020 Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

2019 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Roger Federer (Switzerland) 7-6(5) 1-6 7-6(4) 4-6 13-12(3)

2018 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-2 6-2 7-6(3)

2017 Federer (Switzerland) beat Marin Cilic (Croatia) 6-3 6-1 6-4

2016 Andy Murray (Britain) beat Milos Raonic (Canada) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2)

2015 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Federer (Switzerland) 7-6(1) 6-7(10) 6-4 6-3

2014 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Federer (Switzerland) 6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) 5-7 6-4

2013 Murray (Britain) beat Djokovic (Serbia) 6-4 7-5 6-4

2012 Federer (Switzerland) beat Murray (Britain) 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4

2011 Djokovic (Serbia) beat Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3

2010 Nadal (Spain) beat Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-5 6-4

2009 Federer (Switzerland) beat Andy Roddick (U.S.) 5-7 7-6(6) 7-6(5) 3-6 16-14

2008 Nadal (Spain) beat Federer (Switzerland) 6-4 6-4 6-7(5) 6-7(8) 9-7

2007 Federer (Switzerland) beat Nadal (Spain) 7-6(7) 4-6 7-6(3) 2-6 6-2

2006 Federer (Switzerland) beat Nadal (Spain) 6-0 7-6(5) 6-7(2) 6-3

2005 Federer (Switzerland) beat Roddick (U.S.) 6-2 7-6(2) 6-4

2004 Federer (Switzerland) beat Roddick (U.S.) 4-6 7-5 7-6(3) 6-4

2003 Federer (Switzerland) beat Mark Philippoussis (Australia) 7-6(5) 6-2 7-6(3)

2002 Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat David Nalbandian(Argentina) 6-1 6-3 6-2

2001 Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia) beat Pat Rafter (Australia) 6-3 3-6 6-3 2-6 9-7

2000 Pete Sampras (U.S.) beat Rafter (Australia) 6-7(10) 7-6(5) 6-4 6-2

1999 Sampras (U.S.) beat Andre Agassi (U.S.) 6-3 6-4 7-5

1998 Sampras (U.S.) beat Ivanisevic (Croatia) 6-7(2) 7-6(9) 6-4 3-6 6-2

1997 Sampras (U.S.) beat Cedric Pioline (France) 6-4 6-2 6-4

1996 Richard Krajicek (Netherlands) beat Mal Washington (U.S.) 6-3 6-4 6-3

1995 Sampras (U.S.) beat Boris Becker (Germany) 6-7(5) 6-2 6-4 6-2

1994 Sampras (U.S.) beat Ivanisevic (Croatia) 7-6(2) 7-6(5) 6-0

1993 Sampras (U.S.) beat Jim Courier (U.S.) 7-6(3) 7-6(6) 3-6 6-3

1992 Agassi (U.S.) beat Ivanisevic (Croatia) 6-7(8) 6-4 6-4 1-6 6-4

1991 Michael Stich (Germany) beat Becker (Germany) 6-4 7-6(4) 6-4

1990 Stefan Edberg (Sweden) beat Becker (Germany) 6-2 6-2 3-6 3-6 6-4

1989 Becker (Germany) beat Edberg (Sweden) 6-0 7-6(1) 6-4

1988 Edberg (Sweden) beat Becker (Germany) 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4 6-2

1987 Pat Cash (Australia) beat Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 7-6(5) 6-2 7-5

1986 Becker (Germany) beat Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 6-4 6-3 7-5

1985 Becker (Germany) beat Kevin Curren (U.S.) 6-3 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 6-4

1984 John McEnroe (U.S.) beat Jimmy Connors (U.S.) 6-1 6-1 6-2

1983 McEnroe (U.S.) beat Chris Lewis (New Zealand) 6-2 6-2 6-2

1982 Connors (U.S.) beat McEnroe (U.S.) 3-6 6-3 6-7(2) 7-6(5) 6-4

1981 McEnroe (U.S.) beat Bjorn Borg (Sweden) 4-6 7-6(1) 7-6(4) 6-4

1980 Borg (Sweden) beat McEnroe (U.S.) 1-6 7-5 6-3 6-7(16) 8-6

1979 Borg (Sweden) beat Roscoe Tanner (U.S.) 6-7(4) 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-4

1978 Borg (Sweden) beat Connors (U.S.) 6-2 6-2 6-3

1977 Borg (Sweden) beat Connors (U.S.) 3-6 6-2 6-1 5-7 6-4

1976 Borg (Sweden) beat Ilie Nastase (Romania) 6-4 6-2 9-7

1975 Arthur Ashe (U.S.) beat Connors (U.S.) 6-1 6-1 5-7 6-4

1974 Connors (U.S.) beat Ken Rosewall (Australia) 6-1 6-1 6-4

1973 Jan Kodes (Czechoslovakia) beat Alex Metreveli (Soviet Union) 6-1 9-8 (7-5) 6-3

1972 Stan Smith (U.S.) beat Nastase (Romania) 4-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 7-5

1971 John Newcombe (Australia) beat Smith (U.S.) 6-3 5-7 2-6 6-4 6-4

1970 Newcombe (Australia) beat Rosewall (Australia) 5-7 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1

1969 Rod Laver (Australia) beat Newcombe (Australia) 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4

1968 Laver (Australia) beat Tony Roche (Australia) 6-3 6-4 6-2

PRE-OPEN ERA:

1967 Newcombe (Australia) beat Wilhelm Bungert (Germany) 6-3 6-1 6-1

1966 Manuel Santana (Spain) beat Dennis Ralston (U.S.) 6-4 11-9 6-4

1965 Roy Emerson (Australia) beat Fred Stolle (Australia) 6-2 6-4 6-4

1964 Emerson (Australia) beat Stolle (Australia) 6-4 12-10 4-6 6-3

1963 Chuck McKinley (U.S.) beat Stolle (Australia) 9-7 6-1 6-4

1962 Laver (Australia) beat Marty Mulligan (Australia) 6-2 6-2 6-1

1961 Laver (Australia) beat McKinley (U.S.) 6-3 6-1 6-4

1960 Neale Fraser (Australia) beat Laver (Australia) 6-4 3-6 9-7 7-5

1959 Alex Olmedo (U.S.) beat Laver (Australia) 6-4 6-3 6-4

1958 Ashley Cooper (Australia) beat Fraser (Australia) 3-6 6-3 6-4 13-11

1957 Lew Hoad (Australia) beat Cooper (Australia) 6-2 6-1 6-2

1956 Hoad (Australia) beat Rosewall (Australia) 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-4

1955 Tony Trabert (U.S.) beat Kurt Nielsen (Denmark) 6-3 7-5 6-1

1954 Jaroslav Drobny (Egypt) beat Rosewall (Australia) 13-11 4-6 6-2 9-7

1953 Vic Seixas (U.S.) beat Nielsen (Denmark) 9-7 6-3 6-4

1952 Frank Sedgman (Australia) beat Drobny (Egypt) 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-2

1951 Dick Savitt (U.S.) beat Ken McGregor (Australia) 6-4 6-4 6-4

1950 Budge Patty (U.S.) beat Sedgman (Australia) 6-1 8-10 6-2 6-3

1949 Ted Schroeder (U.S.) beat Drobny (Egypt) 3-6 6-0 6-3 4-6 6-4

1948 Bob Falkenburg (U.S.) beat John Bromwich (Australia) 7-5 0-6 6-2 3-6 7-5

1947 Jack Kramer (U.S.) beat Tom Brown (U.S.) 6-1 6-3 6-2

1946 Yvon Petra (France) beat Geoff Brown (Australia) 6-2 6-4 7-9 5-7 6-4

1940-1945 No competition

1939 Bobby Riggs (U.S.) beat Elwood Cooke (U.S.) 2-6 8-6 3-6 6-3 6-2

1938 Donald Budge (U.S.) beat Bunny Austin (Britain) 6-1 6-0 6-3

1937 Budge (U.S.) beat Gottfried von Cramm (Germany) 6-3 6-4 6-2

1936 Fred Perry (Britain) beat von Cramm (Germany) 6-1 6-1 6-0

1935 Perry (Britain) beat von Cramm (Germany) 6-2 6-4 6-4

1934 Perry (Britain) beat Jack Crawford (Australia) 6-3 6-0 7-5

1933 Crawford (Australia) beat Ellsworth Vines (U.S.) 4-6 11-9 6-2 2-6 6-4

1932 Vines (U.S.) beat Austin (Britain) 6-2 6-2 6-0

1931 Sidney Wood (U.S.) beat Frank Shields (U.S.) walkover

1930 William Tilden (U.S.) beat Wilmer Allison (U.S.) 6-3 9-7 6-4

1929 Henri Cochet (France) beat Jean Borotra (France) 6-4 6-3 6-4

1928 Rene Lacoste (France) beat Cochet (France) 6-1 4-6 6-4 6-2

1927 Cochet (France) beat Borotra (France) 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-5

1926 Borotra (France) beat Howard Kinsey (U.S.) 8-6 6-1 6-3

1925 Lacoste (France) beat Borotra (France) 6-3 6-3 4-6 8-6

1924 Borotra (France) beat Lacoste (France) 6-1 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-4

1923 Bill Johnston (U.S.) beat Frank Hunter (U.S.) 6-0 6-3 6-1

1922 Gerald Patterson (Australia) beat Randolph Lycett (Australia) 6-3 6-4 6-2

From 1877 to 1921 the men’s singles was decided on a challenge-round system with the previous year’s winner automatically qualifying for the final (British unless stated):

1921 Tilden (U.S.) beat Brian Norton (South Africa) 4-6 2-6 6-1 6-0 7-5

1920 Tilden (U.S.) beat Patterson (Australia) 2-6 6-3 6-2 6-4

1919 Patterson (Australia) beat Norman Brookes (Australia) 6-3 7-5 6-2

1915-18 No tournament held

1914 Brookes (Australia) beat Anthony Wilding (New Zealand) 6-4 6-4 7-5

1913 Wilding (New Zealand) beat Maurice McLoughlin (U.S.) 8-6 6-3 10-8

1912 Wilding (New Zealand) beat Arthur Gore 6-4 6-4 4-6 6-4

1911 Wilding (New Zealand) beat Herbert Barrett 6-4 4-6 2-6 6-2 retired

1910 Wilding (New Zealand) beat Gore 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-2

1909 Gore beat Major Ritchie 6-8 1-6 6-2 6-2 6-2

1908* Gore beat Barrett 6-3 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-4

1907* Brookes (Australia) beat Gore 6-4 6-2 6-2

1906 Laurence Doherty beat Frank Riseley 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-3

1905 Doherty beat Brookes (Australia) 8-6 6-2 6-4

1904 Doherty beat Riseley 6-1 7-5 8-6

1903 Doherty beat Riseley 7-5 6-3 6-0

1902 Doherty beat Gore 6-4 6-3 3-6 6-0

1901 Gore beat Reginald Doherty 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-4

1900 Reginald Doherty beat Sydney Smith 6-8 6-3 6-1 6-2

1899 Reginald Doherty beat Gore 1-6 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-3

1898 Reginald Doherty beat Laurence Doherty 6-3 6-3 2-6 5-7 6-1

1897 Reginald Doherty beat Harold Mahony 6-4 6-4 6-3

1896 Mahony beat Wilfred Baddeley 6-2 6-8 5-7 8-6 6-3

1895* Baddeley beat Wilberforce Eaves 4-6 2-6 8-6 6-2 6-3

1894 Joshua Pim beat Baddeley 10-8 6-2 8-6

1893 Pim beat Baddeley 3-6 6-1 6-3 6-2

1892 Baddeley beat Pim 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-2

1891* Baddeley beat Pim 6-4 1-6 7-5 6-0

1890 Willoughby Hamilton beat William Renshaw 6-8 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-1

1889 William Renshaw beat Ernest Renshaw 6-4 6-1 3-6 6-0

1888 Ernest Renshaw beat Herbert Lawford 6-3 7-5 6-0

1887* Lawford beat Ernest Renshaw 1-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-4

1886 William Renshaw beat Lawford 6-0 5-7 6-3 6-4

1885 William Renshaw beat Lawford 7-5 6-2 4-6 7-5

1884 William Renshaw beat Lawford 6-0 6-4 9-7

1883 William Renshaw beat Ernest Renshaw 2-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3

1882 William Renshaw beat Ernest Renshaw 6-1 2-6 4-6 6-2 6-2

1881 William Renshaw beat John Hartley 6-0 6-1 6-1

1880 Hartley beat Lawford 6-3 6-2 2-6 6-3

1879* Hartley beat Vere St Leger Goold 6-2 6-4 6-2

1878 Frank Hadow beat Spencer Gore 7-5 6-1 9-7

1877 Spencer Gore beat William Marshall 6-1 6-2 6-4

*Denotes no challenge round. Winner of all-comers’ final declared champion. REUTERS

• Czech staves off Italian seventh seed Paolini to win title

• Second Grand Slam singles crown after 2021 French Open win

• More heartbreak for Paolini after Roland Garros final loss

 An inspired Barbora Krejcikova etched her name onto Wimbledon’s famed honours board alongside her late mentor Jana Novotna after the seasoned Czech survived a stirring fightback from Jasmine Paolini to seal a 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory in the final on Saturday.

The 2021 French Open champion added the Venus Rosewater Dish to her bulging trophy cabinet that also includes 10 Grand Slam doubles prizes besides an Olympic doubles gold medal from the Tokyo Games three years ago.

Moments after her triumph, Krejcikova was reflecting on a chat that she had as a junior with her idol Novotna, who lifted the Wimbledon title 26 years ago and tragically died in 2017 following a battle with ovarian cancer aged 49.

“Knocking on her door, it changed my life,” said Krejcikova, who reached out to Novotna for help by writing her a letter before they started working together in 2014.

“In that period, when I finished the juniors, I didn’t know what to do. Should I continue playing professionally or should I go into education?

“She was the one who told me I had the potential. I should definitely turn professional. Before she passed away she told me I can win a Grand Slam. I achieved that in Paris in 2021.

“It was an unbelievable moment for me and I never really dreamed I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998.”

Novotna had captured the hearts of fans when she famously sobbed on the shoulders of the Duchess of Kent during the 1993 presentation ceremony after being beaten by Steffi Graf.

On Saturday, it was Krejcikova who broke down in tears when she was shown her idol’s name on the honours board at the All England Club.

“The only thing that was going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot. It was just a very emotional moment to see my name on a board right next to her,” Krejcikova told reporters.

“I think she would be proud. I think she would be really excited that I’m on a same board as she is because Wimbledon was super special for her.”

MENACING MOOD

In a final between two players whose styles are more suited to the slow claycourts of Roland Garros rather than slick grass at the All England Club, Krejcikova began in a menacing mood with some heavy hitting to dictate play.

She raced through the opening set on a sunlit Centre Court before the crowd roared on French Open runner-up Paolini to coax her into action.

The ever-smiling Italian obliged and levelled the contest in her usual rollicking fashion, but Krejcikova quickly wrestled back the advantage after breaking serve at 3-3 thanks to a double fault and pulled away.

Serving for the title at 5-4, Krejcikova endured a nervy spell as she wasted two match points before saving two break points to seal victory at the third time of asking — a result that even left her stunned.

“I think nobody believes it that I got to the final and nobody believes that I won Wimbledon,” said Krejcikova, who joined an elite list of Czech Wimbledon champions including Marketa Vondrousova, Petra Kvitova and Novotna.

“I still can’t believe it.

“… It’s definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life.”

Victory was all the more special for Krejcikova who had a losing record heading into Wimbledon. In fact, she had only won seven matches all season when she arrived in London due to a back injury and illness. Her 7-9 win-loss record in 2024 was nothing to shout about.

She doubled that match-win tally with her run to the title at the grasscourt major and on Saturday she threw her arms up in the air and was shouting “It feels great” after completing her incredible journey.

She also became the eighth different women’s champion in as many editions.

“Two weeks ago I had a tough match (in the first round against Veronika Kudermetova) and I wasn’t in good shape before that because I was injured and ill. I didn’t really have a good beginning to the season,” Krejcikova said.

“It’s unbelievable I’m stood here and I’ve won Wimbledon.”

It was heartbreak all over again for the bubbly Paolini, who lost the French Open final against Iga Swiatek a few weeks ago and was bidding to become the first Italian player to win a Wimbledon singles title.

“Sometimes I’m a little bit scared to dream too much. I’m going back, trying to practice, to stay in the present. This is the goal for me, my team, to try to keep this level as much as possible,” the seventh-seeded Paolini said.

“If I keep this level, I think I can have the chance to do great things. But if I’m not keeping this level, it’s not coming anything good.

“I don’t know what to dream right now. Today I was dreaming to hold the trophy, but didn’t go well. I’m just enjoying the position where I am right now, number five in the world.

“It’s unbelievable, honestly. I just did two finals in two Grand Slams. I have to be also happy with the results. I’m also a little bit disappointed.”

-Reuters

With the rest of the All England Club in darkness at the end of a long day, Townsend and Siniakova shone under the illuminated Centre Court roof to win 7-6(5) 7-6(1) in what was only their 10th match playing together.

Townsend had lost in the U.S. Open doubles final in 2022 and last year’s French Open doubles final, but made it third time lucky alongside Siniakova who now has nine doubles Slams.

The 28-year-old Chicago-born Townsend, who became a mother in 2021, was overcome with emotion after a double-fault from their opponents ended a tight contest.

“I just have to say I’m so glad that I could team up with Katerina,” Townsend said on court.

“I remember in my first Grand Slam final (the 2022 U.S. Open) she kicked my butt so it was great to be on the same side of the net this time. It’s been an amazing couple of weeks and it means a lot to get across the finishing line.”

Routliffe, who alongside Dabrowski, won the U.S. Open doubles title last year, will take some consolation in reaching the number one spot in the women’s doubles rankings.

“This was my first Wimbledon final but hopefully not my last,” Routliffe said on court. “There is something about Wimbledon that makes every match so much more emotional.”

Siniakova won her first two Wimbledon doubles crowns with Barbora Krejcikova who earlier on Centre Court beat Jasmine Paolini to claim the singles title.

“I’m so proud of Barbora and I’m so happy that we could do it as well,” the 28-year-old said.

-Reuters

The unseeded duo of Patten and Heliovaara started playing together only three months ago but ousted seeded pairs en route to the final to meet the Australians, who had knocked out the top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the semis.

Remarkably, the match had no breaks of serve as each set went into a tiebreak and with the pressure mounting with each game, Patten and Heliovaara saved three championship points in the second set to force a decider.

After nearly three hours on court, Patten, a former Wimbledon statistician, and his Finnish partner edged the Australians to win an epic match, receiving a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd.

“You’re all amazing out there. It couldn’t have been a closer match. I can’t really remember what happened. I’m sure Harri’s the same,” Patten said.

While Patten had never moved past the third round at a grand slam before, Heliovaara had reached two quarter-finals and the emotions got the better of the Finnish player who was seen sobbing on the court.

“I admit we got a bit lucky today but sometimes we need luck to win a tennis match… The tears say it all, it’s very emotional,” he said.

In an entertaining and nail-biting first set, the Australian duo were virtually unstoppable on serve, losing just two points but Patten and Heliovaara were also up to the task.

It was initially one-way traffic in the tiebreak as Purcell and Thompson forged ahead when the British-Finnish duo made several errors, giving the Australians five set points, but Patten stepped up under pressure to save four.

But Purcell and Thompson rediscovered their rhythm and took the set when Heliovaara’s return went just wide.

The Australians continued to serve well in the second set as their ace count also went up, with Patten and Heliovaara having no answers on how to break them even as the set went with serve until 6-5.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

Purcell and Thompson finally had the first break point of the match — a championship point on Heliovaara’s serve — but Patten came to his rescue at the net with a fine volleyed winner to force another tiebreak.

Patten and Heliovaara saved championship points twice in the tiebreak on some tense rallies before taking the second set and forcing a decider, leaving the Australians confounded during the changeover as the crowd roared its approval.

The final set was more of the same on serve but had more rallies as both pairs refused to be the first ones to blink, before the unheralded pair of Patten and Heliovaara prevailed and sank to their knees.

“I’m devastated. We were so close, we had championship points… This is the way tennis goes,” said Thompson.

Purcell, who won the Wimbledon doubles title in 2022, praised their opponents.

“It would have been nice to have the extra two sets,” he said amid laughter.

“But I’m super happy for these boys, they deserve it.”

-Reuters

For a champion who has become accustomed to trampling over the opposition while amassing almost 100 titles in his career, this lean spell is not something he is used to.

The 37-year-old lost in his Australian Open fortress at the start of the year, with his bid to win a record-extending 11th Melbourne Park title cut short in the semi-finals.

A knee injury then prematurely ended his French Open title defence last month.

So when he reached the All England Club final after a 6-4 7-6(2) 6-4 win over Lorenzo Musetti Friday, he was finally living up to his own lofty expectations.

Standing in his way to an eighth Wimbledon crown that will see him equal Roger Federer’s mark is Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic in last year’s title clash.

“I’m aware that Roger holds eight Wimbledons. I hold seven. History is on the line. Also, the 25th potential Grand Slam. It serves as a great motivation, but at the same time it’s also a lot of pressure and expectations,” Djokovic told reporters.

“Every time I step out on the court now, though I’m 37 and competing with 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win, whatever, 99% of the matches that I play.

“I always have to come out on court and perform my best to still be at the level with Carlos or Jannik (Sinner) or Sascha (Alexander Zverev) or Daniil (Medvedev).”

After winning three of the four majors last season, Djokovic has endured a disappointing run of form this year with injuries adding to his woes.

In fact for a while it looked like he would not be able to compete at this year’s Wimbledon after requiring knee surgery on a torn meniscus just five weeks ago.

Yet now he stands on the cusp of winning a 25th major and break a record that has stood for over half a century, with Margaret Court having won her 24th slam in 1973.

“This year hasn’t been that successful for me,” the Serbian added. “It’s probably the weakest results the first six months I’ve had in many years. That’s okay.

“I had to adapt and accept that and try to find a way out from the injury that I had and regroup. Wimbledon, historically, there’s been seasons where I wasn’t playing at a desired level but I would win a Wimbledon title and things would change, added Djokovic, who squeezed past Federer to win the 2019 final after saving two championship points against him.

“Wimbledon just extracts the best of me and motivates me to really always show up and perform the best I can.”

-Reuters

Spain’s defending champion Alcaraz took a hammer to the wall that is Russia’s Daniil Medvedev as he beat the fifth seed 6-7(1) 6-3 6-4 6-4 before seven-time champion Djokovic clinically disposed of Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-4 7-6(2) 6-4.

Neither match truly captivated the Centre Court crowd but Sunday’s final promises a fitting climax to a soggy Championships, especially if it scales anywhere near the dizzy heights of last year’s classic won by Alcaraz in five sets.

That defeat was Djokovic’s first defeat on Centre Court for a decade and the clinical way he disposed of the 22-year-old Musetti suggests he hungry to seize back his crown.

“I am satisfied and pleased, but I don’t want to stop here – hopefully I get my hands on the trophy,” Djokovic, who used his racket to play an imaginary violin after winning match point but this time avoided picking a fight with the crowd, said on court.

“(Alcaraz) is one of the greatest 21-year-olds we’ve ever seen in this sport and he will win many more Grand Slams but hopefully not this one on Sunday.”

Despite his valiant attempt to emulate compatriot Jasmine Paolini, who will contest Saturday’s women’s final, 25th seed Musetti never really looked like preventing Djokovic reaching his 10th Wimbledon and record-extending 37th Grand Slam final.

“I have to say today was really a joke at the end how he was returning my serve,” Musetti said.

There were rays of hope. The stylish Musetti recovered from a break down in the first set and had Djokovic in trouble at 5-5 in the second with the Serb 0-30 down on serve.

But Djokovic, as so often, flicked the emergency switch, banged down three aces to avert the danger and then cruised through the ensuing tiebreak for a two-set lead.

Even then Grand Slam semi-final debutant Musetti, the clear fans’ favourite, refused to throw in the towel.

But when Djokovic is in the mood for business, nothing stands in his way and on Sunday he will have more history to write with a record 25th Grand Slam title within touching distance.

There is still the small matter, however, of containing Alcaraz who will be seeking to retain the title on what could be a momentous day for Spain whose soccer team will kickoff later that evening against England in the Euro 2024 final.

That clash in Berlin, just like the one in London’s leafy SW19, looks too tight to call.

But Alcaraz, bidding for a fourth Grand Slam title, will need to avoid the wobbles that have seen him drop sets in every match from the third round onwards.

The third seed was overwhelming favourite to beat Medvedev after outclassing him at the semi-final stage last year.

Watched by Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, Alcaraz started slowly to trail 5-2. He worked his way back into the set but was wrong-footed by Medvedev’s pinpoint hitting in a one-sided tiebreak.

Medvedev, given a warning for some unsavoury language when he dropped serve at 5-3 in the opener, knew Alcaraz would respond and the Spaniard duly turned up the power dial to break serve for a 3-1 lead in set two.

Alcaraz controlled the third set after an early break and despite a blip in the fourth when some errors gave Medvedev a lifeline, he went on to win with something to spare.

Asked for his thoughts on Alcaraz v Djokovic — The Sequel, the Spaniard said: “I know what I have to do and I’m sure he knows what he has to do to beat me.

“It’s going to be a really interesting one for sure.”

It will be the first Wimbledon repeat final since Djokovic met Roger Federer in the 2014 and 2015 title matches.

-Reuters

The 42-year old princess, who is undergoing preventative chemotherapy, is an avid tennis fan and is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Wimbledon, which hosts the annual tennis championships.

Kate and her husband, heir-to-the-throne Prince William, also posted a message on social media on Saturday to his aunt, Princess Anne, who returned to official engagements on Friday less than three weeks after treatment for concussion sustained from a head injury believed to have been caused by a horse.

“Super trooper! So great to see you back so soon! W & C x,” read their message to Anne, 73, who is the younger sister of King Charles.

Kate made her return to public duties in June at “Trooping the Colour”, the annual military parade to mark the official birthday of Charles, and said she hoped to attend other events over the summer.

“I am making good progress, but as anyone going through chemotherapy will know, there are good days and bad days,” she said in a personal written message ahead of last month’s appearance.

“My treatment is ongoing and will be for a few more months,” said the princess, often known by her maiden name Kate Middleton.

Her office, Kensington Palace, has declined to give specific details about the type of cancer or her medical condition, other than to say the treatment started in February.

Charles, 75, has also been undergoing treatment for cancer. He returned to public duties in April, and has remained busy, although his agenda commitments are being limited to minimise risks to his recovery.

-Reuters