Carlos Alcaraz wins Wimbledon as Novak Djokovic thrashing signals end of an era

Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win Wimbledon for the second successive year.

Last year, Alcaraz needed five sets and four hours and 42 minutes to down the greatest player of all time. This time around he required just three sets and a little over two hours as he won 6-2 6-2 7-6, pummelling Djokovic with a powerful display of hitting which perhaps signaled a changing of the guard.

Such a moment has been proclaimed over and over again, as Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal gradually approached the end of their storied careers. But with one of those three officially retired and the other two on their way, it fell to the 37-year-old Djokovic to face a 21-year-old who is already breaking new ground in the sport.

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Alcaraz arrived in this final with three Grand Slams already under his belt, so we shouldn't have been surprised by his victory. Yet the manner in which he achieved it was simply stunning, taking on the man with 24 Grand Slams at his own game and besting him in all aspects. The young Spaniard exudes confidence and his shot-making was jaw-dropping.

He made a statement of intent in the very first game, taking the fifth break point on offer to clinch a 13-minute game which hinted at a potential repeat of last year's five-setter.

But that lengthy game was not a sign of things to come, but merely a reflection of the direction of travel: Alcaraz hitting two clean winners off Djokovic's second serve as the Serb produced four unforced errors in a single game.

Alcaraz then underlined things by consolidating his break in a dominant first service game which contained a 136mph rocket serve out wide. Another break came via a Djokovic double-fault and Alcaraz clinched the opening set 6-2 with some second serves that resembled first serves.

The second set started the same way as the first, albeit Alcaraz's break came much quicker this time around with Djokovic netting a volley. Alcaraz had the crowd on their feet after arriving from a different post code to reach a Djokovic drop-shot before another double fault made things certain.

The third set was a much tighter affair as Djokovic picked things up to suggest he could fight back, but the Spaniard broke in the ninth game of the set with a passing shot. Then the nerves came. Alcaraz double-faulted on his first match point and produced two more unforced errors to surrender the next two as Djokovic fought back, with the Wimbledon crowd he has a difficult relationship with roaring him on.

The tie-break delivered more drama, with the momentum swinging this way and that before Djokovic pushed a shot wide to surrender a mini-break which proved crucial. Alcaraz coolly made a drop-shot to set up another match point before clinching it when Djokovic netted a return.