The Djoker versus the world

These growing feathers plucked from Djoko's wings
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch
Who else would soar above the view of men
And keep us all in servile fearfulness.
(Modified from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar)

Djokovic's younger tennis opponents could be forgiven wanting to chant these lines with relief after Alcaraz comprehensively defeated the Djoker in the Wimbledon 2024 Final.

The Djoker told the world with confidence before the Final that he would win this year's Wimbledon crown.

No matter how promising his younger opponents are, he said, they would just have to wait for putting their hands on the Wimbledon trophy until after he retired.

Well, Djoko's 21 year old finalist opponent, Alcaraz had different ideas.

In front of a stadium audience of fifteen thousand people, he crushed Djokovic in three straight sets in the Wimbledon Final, defending his crown from last year.

He so comprehensively outplayed Djokovic that I would have felt sorry for the Djoker had I not barracked wholeheartedly for an Alcaraz victory.

Whilst last year Alcaraz only won by the skin of his teeth in his first Wimbledon Final against Djokovic in a five-setter, this time he completely outplayed Djokovic.

And he won this time, in less than half the time it took him to defeat Djoko last year.

After Alcaraz won the first two sets with ease, one could still not be sure if Djokovic may not stage a 'Phoenix-rise-from-the ashes' stunt to win the next three sets.

For he did this numerous times before, against less resilient players than Alcaraz.

Indeed, in the third set when Alcaraz could have served the match out at 5:4, he lost his service game and Djokovic was able to push him to a tiebreaker.