Carlos Alcaraz joins Rafael Nadal in rare Spanish feat ahead of Wimbledon showdown against Novak Djokovic

Carlos Alcaraz has become only the second Spanish man, after Rafael Nadal, to qualify for multiple Wimbledon finals. The 21-year-old advanced into the 2024 Wimbledon Championships final after defeating Daniil Medvedev on 12 July. He will face Novak Djokovic in the championship match.

Carlos Alcaraz's first final at the grasscourt Major came in 2023. Coincidentally, he was up against Medvedev in the semifinal and Djokovic in the final last year as well.

In 2023, the Spaniard defeated the Russian in straight sets. This year, Medvedev won the first set of their match but could not capitalize on the momentum as Alcaraz then won three sets in a row to advance. Djokovic, meanwhile, got the better of Lorenzo Musetti in the other semifinal on July 12.

Nadal reached his first Wimbledon final in 2006. Before that, he had made two main draw appearances at SW19 but his best result had been a third-round exit. In his first final at the grasscourt slam, the Spaniard was beaten by Roger Federer.

Nadal's second final at Wimbledon came a year later in 2007, where a similar story unfolded as the Swiss player again defeated him to lift the trophy. The Spaniard finally achieved his revenge in 2008 when he defeated Federer in the final to win his first Wimbledon title.

Nadal appeared in two more Wimbledon finals, winning one and losing the other.

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Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz at The Netflix Slam, A Live Netflix Sports Event. (Source: GETTY)

In 2006, Rafael Nadal became the youngest male to reach a Wimbledon final in recent history at the age of 20. His compatriot Carlos Alcaraz was around a month younger than him when he reached his first Wimbledon final in 2023 making him the youngest finalist since Nadal.

Alcaraz has been able to match or better multiple records previously held by Nadal. At the Madrid Open in 2023, Alcaraz became the youngest player to defend an ATP Masters 1000 title, after Nadal had held the record for two decades.

The 14-time French Open winner was laying the foundations of a historic clay court career in 2006 when he defended the Monte-Carlo Masters and Rome Masters. Debuting at Roland Garros in 2005, Nadal went on to win the French Open title four times consecutively from 2005 to 2009.

In 2005, Nadal became the youngest player to have won multiple ATP titles, at the age of 18 years and 10 months. Alcaraz broke that record by winning the 2021 Umag Open and 2022 Rio Open at the age of 18 years and nine months to become the youngest active player to win multiple ATP titles.