Wimbledon will have its dream final on Sunday.
Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic advanced to the Wimbledon men’s championship match with straight-set semifinal victories on Friday.
Alcaraz, the top-ranked player in the world, ousted Daniil Medvedev, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, and Djokovic, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, defeated Jannik Sinner, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
“I can’t believe it. I’m going to enjoy this amazing moment for me, and it’s time to keep dreaming,” The Guardian quoted Alcaraz as saying.
Djokovic is a 36-year-old superstar from Serbia who’s trying to win his sixth straight Wimbledon singles title. Alcaraz is a 20-year-old upstart from Spain who won last year’s U.S. Open.
“It’s no time to be afraid,” Alcaraz told the Wimbledon crowd after Friday’s victory, according to BBC Sport.
When he played Djokovic in June’s French Open semifinals, Alcaraz was rattled by nerves and body cramps and lost.
No one has beaten Djokovic at Wimbledon since 2017. He hasn’t lost on Centre Court since 2013. This will be his 35th Grand Slam final.
“What can I say? Everyone knows the legend he is,” Alcaraz said. “He is going to be really difficult. I will fight. That’s myself. I will believe in myself, I will believe I can beat him here.
“I saw that he is unbeaten here since 2013 on this court so it’s going to be challenging but I am ready for this,” he added.
In the women’s final, Ons Jabeur and Marketa Vondrousova will play for the championship on Saturday.
Jabeur avenged her 2022 Wimbledon finals loss by beating Elena Rybakina in three sets. Vondrousova was a winner over Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina.
“I’m very proud of myself, because maybe old me would have lost the match and went back home already. But I’m glad that I kept digging very deep and finding the strength,” Jabeur said Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Jabeur has had anger issues in the past.
“I’m learning to transform the bad energy into a good one,” the 28-year-old Tunisian said. “Some things I have no control over: She can ace any time. She can hit the big serve, even if I have a break point. That’s frustrating a bit. But I’m glad that I’m accepting it, and I’m digging deep to just go and win this match — and, hopefully, this tournament.”
