Djokovic, Alcaraz To Meet In Wimbledon Rematch Ahead Of U.S. Open

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic — the world’s top two tennis players — will meet again in the Western & Southern final in a rematch of their exquisite Wimbledon championship from last month.

The match will go off at 4:30 E.T. Sunday on Tennis Channel in temperatures that are expected to reach into the 90s. Coco Gauff will meet Karolina Muchova in the women’s final at 1:30.

Djokovic advanced with a 7-6, 7-5 win over No. 16 seed Alexander Zverev, while Alcaraz overcame a match point to beat Hubert Hurkacz in three sets in the first semifinal Saturday, 2-6.7-6(4), 6-3.

Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion, leads Djokovic 2-1 including a thrilling five-set win in the Wimbledon final, while Djokovic beat the Spaniard in four sets in the Roland Garros semifinals as Alcaraz battled cramps.

“It was a mental semifinal, I had to stay there,” Alcaraz said Saturday in his on court-interview. “I had a lot of break points, it was really tough. Obviously saving a match point is never easy but with my coach, we were talking about staying positive all the time and to stay there. We knew I was going to have my chances and I tried to take it. Every match against Hubi is really, really tough but I’m really, really happy that I was able to win.”

The Spaniard trailed 1-4 in the second set tiebreak before rattling off six straight points to win the set and force a decider. HE is not playing his best tennis and has competed in six straight three-setters, but found a way through.

“It’s been a really tough tournament, all matches [have gone] three sets,” Alcaraz said. “But I’m really happy to win these kind of matches and stay strong mentally, these matches are really good for me. I grow up a lot thanks to these matches.”

Djokovic improved to 8-4 against Zverev and hasn’t dropped a set in his first tournament since losing the Wimbledon final last month. He was seeking his record-tying 24th Grand Slam, a record-tying eighth Wimbledon title and the third leg of the calendar Slam.

Having lost that match, the pressure is somewhat off Djokovic heading into the U.S. Open starting Aug. 28. Both Alcaraz and Djokovic would love to head into New York with another title.