"Novak Djokovic knows what he has to do to beat me"- Carlos Alcaraz ahead of repeat Wimbledon final

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have set up a blockbuster title clash at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Ahead of their repeat final, Alcaraz touched on his thrilling rivalry with the Serb.

Following victories over Mark Lajal, Aleksandar Vukic, Frances Tiafoe, Ugo Humber, and Tommy Paul, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beat repeat opponent Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday, July 12. Just hours later, seven-time champion Novak Djokovic punched his ticket to the Wimbledon final for the sixth time on the trot and 10th time overall.

He beat Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-4, having reached the semifinal through his quarterfinal opponent Alex de Minaur’s withdrawal. In the previous rounds, the World No. 2 got the better of Holger Rune, Alexei Popyrin, Jacob Fearnley, and Vit Kopriva.

Discussing the highly anticipated title clash in his post-match press conference, Carlos Alcaraz said:

"Obviously, everybody knows Djokovic. He has played multiple Grand Slam finals; has won a lot of them," he said about the Serb reaching his 37th Major final.

He recalled how the 24-time Grand Slam champion stretched the 2023 Wimbledon barnburner to five sets.

"Last year it was a very difficult match. He put me in trouble," the World No. 3 said.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have faced each other five times before -- the latter has come out on top thrice. The two have split their victories at Grand Slams, with the Serb winning the 2023 French Open semifinal before the Spaniard's Wimbledon final triumph. They also competed in one other final last year, at the Cincinnati Open, where the veteran beat the Spaniard despite being a championship point down.

"Yeah, I know how it’s going to feel playing against [him]. I played a few times in Grand Slams, final of Masters 1000, multiple times against him," Alcaraz told the press. "I know what I have to do."

"I’m sure he knows what he has to do to beat me," he added. "It’s going to be a really interesting one, but I’m ready to take that challenge, and I’m ready to do it well."

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Novak Djokovic chases 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon 2024 as Carlos Alcaraz hunts for fourth

Defending champion Alcaraz (L) pictured with the Serb at Wimbledon 2023 (Image Source: Getty)

After a turbulent first half of the season, Novak Djokovic has reached his maiden final this year at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

The 37-year-old's run holds immense significance considering he underwent knee surgery just over a month ago after injuring himself at the French Open. He is chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam title and an eighth at SW19. If he wins, he will equal Roger Federer as the player with the most men’s singles titles.

Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, is chasing his second Grand Slam of the season after the French Open and fourth overall. He is bidding to join the likes of Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal as the players who have won the Channel Slam (winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season).