Wimbledon is renowned for being a tournament that consistently delivers unforgettable memories and captivating moments for fans and the global tennis audience.
Amidst the glamour and allure of the event, the Strawberries and cream, the hawk “Rufus” and a plethora of other delightful attractions, the true beauty lies within the on-court performances.
The traditional “all white” tennis event has treated lovers of the sport to jaw-dropping and mesmerising moments with the 2023 Men’s finals between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic serving up a classic contest.
A 5-hour match ended in an iconic fashion, marking a turning point for the 20-year-old Alcaraz and heralding a potential shift in dominance in what many have dubbed a ‘change of guard’.
Alcaraz came from a set down to contribute to what was dubbed one of the greatest finals seen in recent history.
In light of this extraordinary event, we reflect on five of the most legendary Wimbledon men’s finals in the chronicles of the sport.
Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe (1980)
Winning a Grand Slam for many is already a remarkable feat, defending it is certainly impressive, winning it three times consecutively is unimaginable, thus winning one four times in a row is nothing short of legendary. So, attaining this feat for the fifth time in a row is simply beyond belief.
The 1980 Wimbledon final against John McEnroe, which for nearly three decades was regarded as the greatest tennis match ever played, saw Bjorn Borg clinch his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title after an intense five-set match that comprised of a 20-minute 18-16 tie-break in the fourth set, etching this encounter into the archives of tennis folklore. The finer points of this hard-fought match were immortalized in the iconic film, “Borg vs. McEnroe“.
Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer (2008)
While the shared nationality of Alcaraz and Nadal adds an interesting parallel to their respective victories, the true significance lies in their ability to conquer opponents who had previously appeared invincible on the prestigious Centre Court. In both cases, these wins defied expectations and sent shockwaves throughout the tennis world.
Having endured two heart-wrenching defeats in the Wimbledon finals of 2006 and 2007 against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal emerged determined to claim victory in their third successive encounter.
Nadal faced off against Federer and bested the Swiss 6–4, 6–4, 6–7(5), 6–7(8), 9–7 to secure his first Wimbledon championship.
This win thwarted Federer’s quest for an unprecedented sixth consecutive Wimbledon title, a feat that would have surpassed Bjorn Borg’s record of five consecutive titles achieved between 1976 and 1980. By denying Federer this historic achievement, Nadal solidified his own place in tennis history.
Notably, this victory marked Nadal’s fifth Grand Slam title and his first outside of the revered French Open. Equally significant was the fact that it was the first time Federer had lost a Grand Slam final outside the French Open, underlining the magnitude of Nadal’s accomplishment.
The championship match between Nadal and Federer inscribed its place in Wimbledon history as the second-longest in tournament history, lasting a gruelling 4 hours and 48 minutes, interrupted by two rain delays.
Andy Murray vs Novak Djokovic (2013)
Another historic game witnessed at Centre Court was Andy Murray’s 2013 win against Novak Djokovic.
Coincidentally, the 10th anniversary of this win was celebrated amply at this year’s tournament.
This remains one of the most iconic Wimbledon wins as the British No. 1 – Murray had to overcome arguably the greatest pressure that has ever been placed on any sports- person due to Britain’s near-century-long longing for a male champion to follow Fred Perry’s final Wimbledon triumph in 1936.
Defeating the world #1 and the top seed at Wimbledon, in straight sets (6–4 7–5 6–4) made the moment even more iconic.
Djokovic had only won one Wimbledon title at that time – in 2011, when he beat the defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final and had been beaten by Murray in straight sets a year earlier on the same court in the Olympic semifinals.
Murray was able to beat him again in straight sets, with only the very last game of the match (in which Djokovic had several chances to break Murray’s serve and thereby prolong proceedings) proving particularly troublesome.
It would be Djokovic’s last defeat on Centre Court for over a decade, a remarkable run that only ended by young Carlos Alcaraz last weekend.
Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer (2019)
The 2019 final remains fresh in the memories of many.
It was yet another heavyweight duel between Federer and Novak Djokovic, highlighting why the Wimbledon finals are an incredible spectacle of drama and finesse.
After a gruelling battle of nerves and endurance over 4 hours and 57 minutes, Djokovic emerged victorious, claiming his 5th Wimbledon crown and 16th Grand Slam, en route to his current record of 23 titles.
Djokovic also became the first man since Bob Falkenburg at the 1948 Wimbledon Championships to win the title after being championship points down, having saved two when down 7–8 in the fifth set. Moreover, it was the first Wimbledon where a final set tiebreak rule was introduced.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic (2023)
Carlos Alcaraz, playing in his debut Wimbledon final, took the tennis world by storm when he ousted record Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in a five-set thriller.
Given Djokovic’s almost complete annexation of the tournament over the last decade – winning seven titles in total between 2011 and 2022, the result was seismic.
The amazing turn of events, the defeat of Djokovic in a tiebreak, the five-hour-long final, the global attention, and the triumph over the ultimate obstacle to a Wimbledon title – Djokovic, there is little debate as to why this final ranks amongst our most iconic Wimbledon finals.
The Serb was attempting to equal Federer’s all-time Wimbledon record total of eight Men’s Singles titles, and he was also on course to complete the Calendar Grand Slam – the actual Grand Slam of winning all four Majors in a single calendar year, having already conquered the previous two Slams in Melbourne and Paris.
This coupled with the fact Alcaraz was also facing his own Djokovic-related demons after completely cramping up against him in the French Open semifinal last month and later admitting that that was at least in part due to the enormous nerves that he had felt at facing Djokovic in a Major for the first time.
Moreover, he was only playing his fourth grass-court tournament ever, whereas Djokovic had already won Wimbledon, the greatest grass-court tournament of them all, seven times.
It was indeed the perfect “David and Goliath” story.
