Carlos Alcaraz has heralded the changing of the guard in men's tennis, ending Novak Djokovic's long reign at Wimbledon with a rip-roaring 1-6 7-6(6) 6-1 3-6 6-4 victory to win the All England Club title for the first time.
The Serb had been indestructible on Wimbledon's Centre Court for a decade, but he finally met his match, as he ran out of ideas to stop young gun Alcaraz hurtling towards the title.
After Alcaraz, 20, broke for a 2-1 lead in the fifth set with a stupendous passing shot winner, Djokovic's racket felt the full force of his anger, as he smashed it against the wooden net post to leave it in a mangled mess.
That earned Djokovic, 36, a second warning in the match, after he was also cautioned for taking too much time to launch into his serves.
All that distraction failed to throw an inspired Alcaraz off course, as he became the youngest man in 37 years to win the gilded Challenge Cup, after Djokovic scooped a forehand into the net, leaving the Spaniard to collapse onto his back in his moment of triumph.
Reuters
