The Wimbledon final is the pinnacle of tennis played under immense pressure, not that you could tell from Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic’s exchange before the match.
The two are becoming familiar foes as the battle on Centre Court on Sunday in a repeat of the 2023 final.
Even though they are fierce rivals on the court, separated by a 16-year age gap, there is nothing but respect off it.
That was evident from their heartwarming exchange they had behind the scenes moments before walking out at the All England Club.
There was some confusion over the etiquette on who should walk out first.
Djokovic is a seven-time champion at Wimbledon and 24-time Grand Slam winner.
But Alcaraz is the defending champion having dethroned the Serbian on the very same court 12 months ago.
The Spaniard could be overheard saying: “You go first. I don’t know what the rules are.”
It was a relaxed and very lighthearted exchange between them, clearly neither too precious about walking out on court first.
The Princess of Wales was attending the Wimbledon men’s final with her daughter, Princess Charlotte, in her second public engagement since announcing her cancer diagnosis.
Kate, patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will present the trophy to the winner of the clash between Djokovic and Alcaraz.
She arrived at the tennis tournament in SW19 less than an hour before the final was due to begin on Sunday afternoon and met players including Emma Raducanu.
Alcaraz’s success last year was a memorable Wimbledon final, with the young pretender toppling the long-reigning champion in five thrilling sets.
The 21-year-old is now looking to match a feat only Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver have done in the men’s Open era by winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
“I try not to think about that I’m the defending champion,” Alcaraz said.
“I just go into every match thinking that obviously I have chances to lose. Every match, it’s a war. The opponent, they are going to put his best tennis to beat you.
“I am thinking that I have to play my best tennis if I want to keep going.”
Meanwhile for Djokovic, he is looking for a 25th Grand Slam. A feat made all the more remarkable by the fact he had knee surgery just 37 days ago.
“This year hasn’t been that successful for me. It’s probably the weakest results the first six months I’ve had in many years,” he added.
“At Wimbledon, historically, there have been seasons where I wasn’t maybe playing at a desired level but then I would win a Wimbledon title and then things would change.
“Wimbledon just extracts the best of me and motivates me to really always show up and perform the best I can.
“Of course, I’m aware of what’s on the line. Any grand slam that I play, there’s always history now on the line. I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.”
News Summary:
- Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic confused over rules in lighthearted moment before Wimbledon final
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.