Kim Clijsters has advised Ons Jabeur to “fake it until you make it” after another heartbreaking grand slam final defeat.

The popular Tunisian could not overcome her nerves in a 6-4 6-4 loss to Marketa Vondrousova that made it back-to-back Wimbledon final losses.

A US Open final defeat to Iga Swiatek was sandwiched in between and Jabeur now joins an unwanted club of players who have lost their first three grand slam finals.

Like Andy Murray, it took Belgian Clijsters five attempts before she finally won one, and she shared tears with Jabeur in the locker room

“Just watching her in her interview and seeing the emotions afterwards, it brings back a lot of memories and thoughts of how you go about it,” said Belgian Clijsters.

“There’s no secret, it’s just trying to give yourself the opportunity to get to that stage again. The unfortunate thing is you cannot practise these things, you cannot practise being in a grand slam final, you can only do it within the occasion.

“The biggest thing she has to maybe learn is to fake it, fake it until you make it. You could see it really clearly that the negative emotions were taking over.

“If she missed a shot, there was the natural kind of reaction that was negative. When she made a great point, there was nothing a lot of the time. That just showed the doubt was overpowering everything.”

Clijsters lost twice in French Open finals and once each at the Australian Open and US Open before her maiden success in New York in 2005.

“It’s tough,” said the 40-year-old, who went on to win four major titles. “But there shouldn’t be any question in her mind about whether she can do it or not. She can beat all these players, there’s no doubt about that.

“For me the most disappointing is not so much the loss, it’s the fact that you weren’t able to bring your best tennis to the biggest occasion, and that’s the most frustrating and that’s why you start to worry – why am I not able to do it? Why am I so overwhelmed with emotions on the big stage?

“But it does feel good eventually when you get it. It’s definitely a process. I just know looking back I wasn’t ready to win and I’m very happy I didn’t win my first.”

Jabeur was grateful for Clijsters’ support and is encouraged that many other players have been through similar adversity before eventually getting their hands on a winners’ trophy.

“I love Kim so much,” said Jabeur. “She’s a great inspiration for me. I grew up watching her a bit. The fact that she takes the time to give me advice and to really hug me, always be there for me, I think it’s priceless.

“She was telling me all the time she lost four. That’s the positive out of it. You cannot force things. It wasn’t meant to be.”

Novak Djokovic is going for his eighth Wimbledon title and Carlos Alcaraz his first in a final billed as the ultimate generation game.

Djokovic, 36, is bidding to become the oldest man to take the SW19 crown while 20-year-old Alcaraz is the youngest finalist since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006.

The winner will also claim the world number one spot.

Elsewhere, there is British interest in the juniors competition, with Henry Searle reaching the final of the boys’ singles, while Alfie Hewett looks to finally win an elusive wheelchair singles title in SW19.

Here, the PA news agency looks ahead to the final day of the Championships.

Will it be Novak the gr-eight?

Djokovic is making history with virtually every victory and a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win over Jannik Sinner in his record-equalling 46th grand slam semi-final earned him a record-breaking 35th final, taking him past American great Chris Evert.

The Serbian is now only one victory away from matching Roger Federer by winning an eighth Wimbledon title, and Federer and Bjorn Borg by claiming five in a row.

He would also move level with Margaret Court with a record 24th grand slam crown.

It is 10 years since Djokovic lost a match on Centre Court, an extraordinary run of 45 matches going back to the 2013 final against Andy Murray.

Or king Carlos the first?

Standing in Djokovic’s way is swashbuckling Spaniard Alcaraz in what will, incredibly, be only the 18th match of his career on grass.

The world number one proved he has got the hang of the surface by winning at Queen’s Club last month and he dismantled third seed Daniil Medvedev in three sets in their semi-final.

Alcaraz already has a grand slam title to his name having won last year’s US Open, and he reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

There he was beaten by Djokovic, but only after cramping up following two evenly-contested sets.

Next stop, Searle’s court

Wolverhampton’s Searle is one match away from becoming Britain’s first boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon for 61 years.

The 17-year-old defeated American fourth seed Cooper Williams 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Backed by his noisy fan club consisting of family members and friends from his tennis club, Searle is on the brink of emulating Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed in 1962.

Jack Draper was the last British player to make the final five years ago, while Liam Broady also reached it in 2011, but both were beaten.

Searle will face 17-year-old Yaroslav Demin of Russia in the final.

There is also British interest in the junior doubles after Hannah Klugman and Isabelle Lacy reached the final, while Alfie Hewett goes for his maiden wheelchair singles title against world number one Tokito Oda of Japan.

Order of play

Centre Court (from 2pm)
Carlos Alcaraz v Novak Djokovic
Storm Hunter/Elise Mertens v Hsieh Su-wei/Barbora Strycova

Court One (from 11am)
Alfie Hewett v Tokito Oda
Henry Searle v Yaroslav Demin
Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan v James Blake/Lleyton Hewitt

Weather

Sunny changing to cloudy by late morning.

Neal Skupski revealed he had no choice but to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles title after his brother and coach Ken returned from his family holiday in Ibiza to watch the final.

Skupski became just the second Briton to win the SW19 men’s doubles in the open era, after Jonny Marray 11 years ago, as he and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court.

The 33-year-old Liverpudlian thought he would have to play his final without Ken in his box after his older sibling drove home following Thursday’s semi-final to go on holiday.

But his big brother hot-footed it back to the tournament and, wearing his brother’s clothes, saw history being made as Neal completed a Wimbledon hat-trick following 2021 and 2022 wins in the mixed doubles.

“There was a lot of pressure on me this morning after he came back,” Neal said. “He did go to Ibiza for probably 14 hours.

“He drove home straightaway after the semi-final, back to Liverpool and it obviously took four or five hours.

“He got back around 11pm, had a 2am alarm and drove to Manchester airport with his family. Got to Ibiza around 9.30am and enjoyed the day there.

“Then he had a 1am flight this morning back from Ibiza that was delayed a couple of hours so got into Gatwick at 4.30am, slept in a pod at Gatwick airport. Got the car at 9am here.

“He was on court with me borrowing my clothes. Yeah, he’s already left to go back to Ibiza with the family. He probably wants a pay rise!

“He always said, ‘If you make the final, I’m coming back’. I don’t know if he ever believed that I’d make the final. But, yeah, amazing for him. Unbelievable commitment.”

After winning the mixed doubles with Desirae Krawczyk in the last two years, Neal said the men’s doubles title would be the “pinnacle” and it is his first grand slam triumph in the men’sevent, having lost in the US Open final last year.

He also becomes the first British man to win a hat-trick of titles since the great Fred Perry in the late 1930s.

“I’m speechless really,” he added. “It’s something I never thought would ever happen. Obviously I won the mixed doubles a couple times with Desirae Krawczyk.

“It’s just an amazing feeling right now.

“It’s an amazing achievement, when you said about Fred Perry, the last person to win three in a row.

“But, yeah, it’s nothing that I was thinking about coming into the event. It was more thinking about me and Wesley, what we were going to do.

“The goal this year was to win a grand slam. Obviously we’ve done well in previous grand slams, making the quarter-finals and the US Open final last year.

“But now to call ourselves grand slam champions in the men’s doubles, an amazing achievement for not just us but the whole team.”

Marketa Vondrousova is the women’s Wimbledon champion after she beat Ons Jabeur in the final to win her first grand slam.

Neal Skupski completed his hat-trick of titles at SW19 by winning the men’s doubles with Wesley Koolhof, while Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid continued their domination of the wheelchair doubles with a fifth title here.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at day 13 of the Championships.

Vondrousova’s moment of history

Marketa Vondrousova created history when she became the first unseeded player to win the women’s title at Wimbledon after her 6-4 6-4 victory over Ons Jabeur.

The Czech’s victory marks an impressive comeback after injury stalled her career having made the French Open final as a 19-year-old and she was only at Wimbledon last year to support her best friend in qualifying while wearing a cast following wrist surgery.

But now her name is on the honours board and she has a place in history, becoming just the third Czech woman to lift the title following Martina Navratilova and Petra Kvitova.

Spare a thought for Jabeur, though, who lost in the final for a second year in a row. She was inconsolable at the end, having firmly believed that this was her time, but vowed to come back and win Wimbledon in the future.

Tweet of the dayHat-trick for Skupski

Neal Skupski became just the second Briton to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles in the open era after he and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof triumphed on Centre Court.

Only Jonny Marray had previously won in SW19 back in 2012, but Skupski and Koolhof lived up to their top seed billing with a 6-4 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Victory ensured home success at this year’s tournament and also gave Skupski a Wimbledon hat-trick after glory in the 2021 and 2022 mixed doubles.

Skupski, 33 and from Liverpool, said this would be the “pinnacle” and it is his first grand slam title in the men’s doubles, having lost in the US Open final last year.

Picture of the dayHewett eyes full set after more doubles joy

Alfie Hewett is one win away from completing the set of grand slams after making his way through to the wheelchair singles finals.

The Briton has won at the Australian Open, the French Open and US Open but his home slam has so far evaded him.

After easing past Martin De La Puente in the semi-finals he will now go for glory against top seed Tokito Oda, who beat Gordon Reid on his way to the final.

While the singles title at Wimbledon has proved problematic, Hewett has had no problems in the doubles with his partner Reid and they claimed a fifth title in SW19.

The home pair beat Japanese opponents Takuya Miki and Oda to post an 18th grand slam crown together.

Quote of the daySearle closing in on history

There is a chance of even more British success on Sunday as Henry Searle is in the boy’s final.

The 17-year-old from Wolverhampton is one match away from becoming Britain’s first singles champion in the boys’ tournament for 61 years.

Having earlier knocked out the top seed he ousted American fourth seed Cooper Williams 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the semi-finals.

If he can beat Russian Yaroslav Demin in the final he will emulate Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed back in 1962.

Shot of the dayStat of the day

British duo Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid thrilled a packed Court One by winning their fifth Wimbledon wheelchairs doubles title.

Hewett and Reid reclaimed the trophy, having been runners up last year, with a 3-6 6-0 6-3 victory over Japan’s Takuya Miki and Tokito Oda in three sets.

It was an 18th grand slam win for the pair and a measure of revenge for Scotsman Reid, who was beaten by Oda in the singles semi-final earlier on Saturday.

“That was something else, I’ve got goosebumps,” said Hewett.

“We dream of atmospheres like this, it doesn’t come around often and I’m glad we rose to the occasion.”

Reid added: “It was a great match. I think we’re going to have a lot of battles in the future.

“Me and Alfie, on match point, we were both tearing up a little bit, the atmosphere was electric.

“My first Wimbledon was in 2008 on court 53 or something in front of three men and his dog, my mum and my sister.

“If you’d told me then we’d be on a nearly full Court One with the crowd going berserk, I would never have believed you.

“It’s an incredible atmosphere and an incredible occasion for us and for wheelchair tennis.”

Hewett will look to win his first Wimbledon singles title on Sunday when he takes on 17-year-old Oda in the final.

Neal Skupski became just the second Briton to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles in the open era after he and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof triumphed on Centre Court.

Only Jonny Marray had previously won at SW19 back in 2012, but Skupski and Koolhof lived up to their top seed billing with a 6-4 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Victory ensured home success at this year’s tournament and also gave Skupski a Wimbledon hat-trick after glory in the 2021 and 2022 mixed doubles.

Skupski, 33 and from Liverpool, said this would be the “pinnacle” and it is his first grand slam title in the men’s doubles, having lost in the US Open final last year.

Pre-armed with some tactical analysis sent in from Skupski’s brother Ken from his holiday in Ibiza, the Dutch-British pair looked assured from the off.

And at 3-3 in the first set they made their move, breaking Granollers’ serve when the Spaniard kindly sent down a double fault on break point.

Skupski consolidated the break with an impressive service game and, after missing a set point on Zeballos’ serve in the next game, it was left to Koolhof to serve it out nicely and claim the set 6-4.

They continued to dominate and crucially took Zeballos’ serve to lead 3-2 after a particularly impressive return game.

Skupski immediately held to go 4-2 up before they missed two break points to move within a game of the title as Granollers came good.

But that left the Briton to finish the job and he did not disappoint the home crowd, falling to the floor in celebration after their opponents went long on the first championship point.

Skupski said on court: “I don’t know what to say. Growing up watching this amazing championship, going out there as a small boy, this feeling at the moment doesn’t get better.

“Me and Wesley came together 18 months ago and this year one of our goals was to win a grand slam and now we have done it, it feels very special.”

Marketa Vondrousova defeated favourite Ons Jabeur in straight sets to make history as the first unseeded women’s singles champion at Wimbledon.

There have been a string of surprise slam winners in a period of flux for the women’s game but Wimbledon had been the exception until now, with Czech Vondrousova taking advantage of a nervous performance from Jabeur to claim a 6-4 6-4 victory.

The irony is it comes at a time when a new big three comprising of Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and last year’s Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina have established themselves at the top of the game.

Jabeur certainly deserves to be in the conversation, too, given this was her third final appearance at the last five slams and that she accounted for Rybakina and Sabalenka in the previous two rounds.

The Tunisian admitted ahead of facing Rybakina that it was still too painful to watch last year’s final and she desperately wanted to make it third time lucky and become the first north African and Arab grand slam singles champion.

Jabeur was slapping her thigh in frustration as early as the third game and in the end was simply not able to find that composure that she needed.

Both the sixth seed and Vondrousova possess a box of tricks, preferring to dissect opponents using slices, drop shots and lobs rather than trying to bully from the baseline.

The roof was closed despite conditions being dry, meaning the high winds forecast would not be a factor, and Vondrousova took full advantage to land a perfect lob on to the baseline on the first point.

But, with the Princess of Wales and tennis royalty Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King watching from the front row of the Royal Box, it was Jabeur who claimed the early advantage.

She used her extra power to move into a 4-2 lead only for Vondrousova, who had won both their previous matches this year, to reel off four games in a row and claim the opening set.

Jabeur’s legs and arms were clearly stricken by tension and she headed off court for a bathroom break. She could not free herself up, though, and dropped serve immediately at the start of the second set.

Jabeur is a real crowd favourite everywhere and Centre Court roared as she fought back from 40-0 to break the Vondrousova serve before opening up a 3-1 lead.

The Czech had her own supporters, including husband Stepan Simek, who had passed over the responsibility of looking after their cat Frankie to fly to London for the final.

This was not the 24-year-old’s first time on such a stage having burst through as a 19-year-old at the French Open in 2019 before losing in the final to Ashleigh Barty.

Injuries had prevented her building on that, and she came to London as a tourist last summer during Wimbledon with her wrist in a cast after two operations.

Just eight months ago, she was ranked outside the top 100 and winning a title in the rather less glamorous surroundings of The Shrewsbury Club in Shropshire.

But Vondrousova has reminded the tennis world this season of what a supremely talented player she is and back she came to level before breaking the Jabeur serve again at 4-4.

A double fault on her first match point betrayed a hint of nerves but she put away a cool volley on the second before dropping to the court in stunned celebration.

Henry Searle is excited to take to the same stage as his heroes as he bids to become Britain’s first boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon for 61 years.

The 17-year-old from Wolverhampton knocked out the top seed in the opening round and is yet to drop a set, overcoming windy conditions to defeat American fourth seed Cooper Williams 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Backed by his noisy fan club consisting of family members and friends from his tennis club, Searle moved to the brink of emulating Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed back in 1962.

Jack Draper was the last British player to make the final five years ago, while Liam Broady also reached the trophy decider in 2011, but both came out on the losing side.

Searle cites Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz as his tennis heroes, and he said: “A few years ago I watched Roger (on Court One) my first time coming to Wimbledon. It’ll be pretty special playing there.

“Being such a big tennis fan from a young age, it’s definitely inspiring and exciting to see those guys playing in such big stadiums and then being able to do it tomorrow will be pretty cool.”

Searle trains at the Lawn Tennis Association’s national academy in Loughborough, while he has also spent time at the academy of Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou in the south of France.

But Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, where he watched Andy Murray win his first Wimbledon title as a seven-year-old with many of those cheering him on courtside, has also been hugely important in Searle’s journey.

“They’ve been really supportive since a young age,” he said. “They’ve offered free membership for years to try and be as supportive as possible so I’m really appreciative.

“I think they’ve put it on in the bar there. I hope there’s a few people watching. It’s a really cool place.”

Searle showed a cool head in a first set of few chances, saving the first break point and then creating two on Williams’ serve, which the 18-year-old did well to save.

The tie-break went the way of the British player, though, who opened up a 5-1 lead and did not allow his opponent to claw his way back.

A sizeable crowd was gathered around Court Four and there was another huge cheer when Searle’s pressure on the Williams serve paid off with a first break of serve to lead 4-2.

He then clinched his third match point before celebrating with his jubilant supporters.

In the final he will take on Russian fifth seed Yaroslav Demin, who he beat comfortably on his run to the quarter-finals of the French Open last month.

“It’s definitely a confidence booster and it’s helping me going into the match tomorrow but I’ve got to expect a better version of him,” said Searle. “Obviously he’s won a lot of matches this week and he must be feeling pretty good.”

Isabelle Lacy and Hannah Klugman, meanwhile, can make history by becoming the first all-British pair to claim the girls’ doubles title at a grand slam.

Lacy, 16, and 14-year-old Klugman defeated American duo Tatum Evans and Alanis Hamilton 6-2 6-4 in the semi-finals.

Klugman said: “It is incredible. I think our teamwork and our game has really improved this week. We haven’t really played together before so it is a shock making the final, but honestly so happy to make it. We are going to enjoy it.”

Lacy added: “We have known each other since we were so young. Winning the title would be a great way to cap off the grass-court season.”

Wolverhampton’s Henry Searle is one match away from becoming Britain’s first boys’ singles champion at Wimbledon for 61 years.

The 17-year-old knocked out the top seed in the opening round and is yet to drop a set, overcoming windy conditions to defeat American fourth seed Cooper Williams 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the semi-finals.

Backed by his noisy fan club consisting of family members and friends from his tennis club, Searle moved to the brink of emulating Stanley Matthews, son of the famous footballer, who triumphed back in 1962.

Jack Draper was the last British player to make the final five years ago, while Liam Broady also reached the trophy decider in 2011, but both came out on the losing side.

Searle showed a cool head in a first set of few chances, saving the first break point and then creating two on Williams’ serve, which the 18-year-old did well to save.

The tie-break went the way of the British player, though, who opened up a 5-1 lead and did not allow his opponent to claw his way back.

A sizeable crowd were gathered around Court Four and there was another huge cheer when Searle’s pressure on the Williams serve paid off with a first break of serve to lead 4-2.

He then clinched his third match point before celebrating with his jubilant friends sat courtside.

Carlos Alcaraz says the blockbuster Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic is going to be the “best moment of my life”.

The world number one is gunning for his first title in SW19 but is coming up against the toughest test of all in Djokovic, who has eyes on a record-equalling eighth success on Centre Court.

A 16-year age gap between the two players makes Sunday the ultimate generation game as Alcaraz looks to dethrone 36-year-old Djokovic.

And the Spaniard, who disposed of third seed Daniil Medvedev, is going to cherish the moment.

“It is probably going to be the best moment of my life – probably,” he said. “Playing a final here in Wimbledon is something that I dream about when I start playing tennis. As I said before, it’s even better playing against Novak.

“It’s going to be a really emotional moment for me. But I’ll try to stay calm in that moment. For Novak it is one more day, one more moment. For me, it’s going to be the best moment of my life I think.”

It is a rematch of the recent French Open semi-final where Alcaraz played brilliantly to level at one set all before cramp ruined his chances and Djokovic raced to a four-set win on his way to a record 23rd grand slam title.

Alcaraz, chasing his second after winning last year’s US Open, has vowed to do things differently in his preparation.

“I will try to get into the court with not as much nerves as I probably had in French Open, in the semi-final,” he said. “I will try to pull out all the nerves, try to enjoy that moment because probably in the semi-final at the French Open I didn’t enjoy at all in the first set.

“I’ll do something different. I’ll prepare the match a little bit different from the French Open. It’s going to be different for me. I hope not to get cramp during the final.

“I think I’ll be better on Sunday.”

Playing in the final is not a new thing for Djokovic as he aims to join Roger Federer on eight titles and notch a fifth in a row.

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“It’s an ultimate showdown,” said Djokovic, who has not lost on Centre Court since 2013. “Everything comes down to one match.

“All eyes of the tennis and sports world will be directed on this Sunday’s Wimbledon’s final. It’s probably the most watched tennis match globally. I look forward to it.

“I obviously have more experience than most of these guys that I faced here, and that I will face on Sunday, as well.

“Experience could help a little bit I think maybe in some important moments, beginning the match, managing the nerves, managing the occasion, circumstances. Yeah, that’s where experience could play a role.

“But it’s not going to be the deciding factor really. So whoever on a given day is in a better state, I mean, mentally and physically, will be the winner.”

History will be made on women’s final day as Tunisian Ons Jabeur takes on Czech Marketa Vondrousova.

A new name will on the Venus Rosewater Dish after the Centre Court showpiece as last year’s runner-up takes on the first unseeded women’s finalist in SW19 since 1963.

Elsewhere, Neal Skupski is going for a Wimbledon hat-trick and the schedule is playing catch up as play was washed out on the outside courts on Friday.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at day 13.

Ons the way to redemption

Ons Jabeur is back in the Wimbledon final 12 months after she suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Elena Rybakina.

The Tunisian has said that 2022 was never her time, but there is a real sense she is now ready to become a grand slam champion.

She has looked every inch the title contender throughout the tournament with her all-round game and fighting spirit getting her this far.

If she can go one better than last year then she will become the first female singles winner of a grand slam from an Arab or African country.

Vondrousova’s road to recovery

Marketa Vondrousova is also on the path to redemption after injury stalled her promising career.

After reaching the French Open as a teenager in 2019, she has suffered with health issues and revealed that her only participation in Wimbledon last year was watching her best friend in qualification at Roehampton while wearing a cast on her left wrist.

But 12 months on she is in the final after going under the radar until ending Elina Svitolina’s emotional run in the last four.

She will have extra support in her box as her husband has found a cat sitter so is travelling over for the match.

And if she wins, she will become the first unseeded women’s title winner in Wimbledon history.

Skupski going for the hat-trick

Not since Dorothy Round in 1937 has a British player won a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles, but Neal Skupski could be about to emulate that achievement.

The Liverpudlian won the mixed doubles in 2021 and 2022 and is now going for the “pinnacle” in the men’s doubles with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof.

Skupski will not have his brother and coach Ken in his box as he went on a family holiday to Ibiza on Friday, but he did provide tactical analysis via video.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, who beat Skupski and Koolhof at the French Open, stand in the way.

Order of play

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Centre Court
Marketa Vondrousova v Ons Jabeur
Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski v Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos

Court One
Alfie Hewett v Martin De La Puente
Wozniacki/Black v Radwanska/O’Brien
Hewett/Reid v Miki/Oda

Weather

Very strong winds, with the chance of early showers.

Carlos Alcaraz wants the scalp of Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon final on his CV.

The 20-year-old became the youngest man to reach the final since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 with a commanding 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory over Russian Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz, the world number one and top seed, will face Djokovic, the seven-time champion who is 16 years his senior, in the ultimate generation game on Centre Court.

The US Open champion could be forgiven for waiting for Djokovic to finally disappear from the scene – something the Serbian shows no sign of doing yet – before Alcaraz can begin racking up more grand slam titles.

But he said: “It gives you extra motivation. I think it’s more special to play the final against a legend from our sport.

“If I win, it could be amazing for me – not only win a Wimbledon title but to do it against Novak would be super special.

“But I always say if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Novak is one of them. It would be great if I can do it.”

Medvedev, the third seed and a former US Open champion, has been playing some superb grass-court tennis this fortnight.

But Alcaraz is no respecter of reputations and the Russian was barely in the match until a couple of breaks of serve were exchanged in the third set.

Even then, Alcaraz finished Medvedev off with a brutal forehand, his 27th winner of the semi-final.

“This one probably was one of my best matches, not only on grass but on the tour,” he added. “I rate it like eight out of 10, something like that.

“It was amazing for me. I showed a great level. Yeah, probably one of my best matches.”

Alcaraz had only played six matches on grass when he arrived at Queen’s Club last month, yet he took the title and has made serene progress in SW19.

“It could become my best surface,” he said with a smile.

“No, but I always like to play on grass. Probably after this year even more.”

It was a victory which also spared Wimbledon chiefs the uncomfortable situation of the Princess of Wales handing a trophy to, and shaking hands with, a player from Russia, after they were banned from the Championships last year due to the war in Ukraine.

Medvedev said: “Maybe against other guys you can be playing not bad, you’re going to have your chances, during the match you’re going to find something to work with.

“With Carlos, you need to be at your absolute best and that’s how you can win. Unfortunately, I was not.”

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz will do battle in a hotly-anticipated Wimbledon final on Sunday.

The world’s two best players have negotiated their way safely through the draw to set up a rematch of last month’s French Open semi-final, which was locked at one-set all when Alcaraz was stricken by cramp.

The Spaniard followed up his straight-sets win over fellow young gun Holger Rune by taking out third seed Daniil Medvedev in emphatic fashion, winning 6-3 6-3 6-3.

Earlier, Djokovic had overcome some difficult moments to beat eighth seed Jannik Sinner 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) and reach a record 35th grand slam singles final.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at how day 12 of the Championships unfolded.

Quote of the dayAlcaraz breezes through

The 20-year-old dropped sets in both the third and fourth rounds and it appeared this year’s Wimbledon may perhaps be too soon for him to challenge for the title.

But Alcaraz has been imperious in his last two matches and he took apart Medvedev to become the youngest man to reach the Wimbledon final since his compatriot Rafael Nadal 17 years ago.

Last year’s US Open champion will now attempt to do what no man has done since Nadal at the French Open last year and beat Djokovic at a slam.

Djokovic stays on course

Djokovic extended his winning run at Wimbledon to 34 matches as he continued to fight off the next generation.

The 36-year-old took his chances better than 21-year-old Sinner, who was playing in his first slam semi-final, and fought off his annoyance over a hindrance call for a loud grunt that saw him docked a point early in the second set.

Djokovic then became irritated by the crowd when Sinner created two set points at 4-5 in the third, miming crying after saving both before winning a 15th straight grand slam tie-break.

Picture of the dayRain, rain go away

It was a soggy scene on the outside courts at the All England Club on Friday.

Rain that began before the gates opened at 10am did not relent enough for any play to take place away from Centre Court and Court One, barring a few under-14 junior matches that were moved to indoor hard courts.

With the forecast predicting more rain and very strong winds on Saturday, it could be a major headache for organisers to ensure all the categories finish on time.

Shot of the dayStat of the day

Novak Djokovic is looking forward to a “feast” of a Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz after overcoming spats with the umpire and the crowd in a straight-sets victory over Jannik Sinner.

The end of the fortnight will see the contest that was widely predicted at the start, with the world’s two best players fighting it out for the trophy.

Djokovic is making history with virtually every victory and a 6-3 6-4 7-6 (4) win against Sinner in his record-equalling 46th grand slam semi-final earned him a record-breaking 35th final, taking him past American great Chris Evert.

Alcaraz, who blitzed third seed Daniil Medvedev, is the only man who can now prevent Djokovic matching Roger Federer by winning an eighth Wimbledon title and Margaret Court with a 24th grand slam crown.

A month ago at the French Open, Djokovic and Alcaraz clashed in a semi-final that hit the heights for two split sets before the young Spaniard was struck down by cramp.

“Judging by the performances that we have seen from all the players, I think this is probably the best final that we could have,” said Djokovic. “We are both in good form. We’re both playing well.

“I want to take this title without a doubt. I look forward to it. It’s going to be a great challenge, the greatest challenge that I could have at the moment from any angle really: physical, mental, emotional.

“He’s one of the quickest guys on the tour. He can do pretty much anything on the court. I consider myself also a very complete player.

“We had a very good match until he started struggling physically in Paris. I think we really took the level of tennis very high. I think it was great for the audience and great for us players to be part of that.

“Obviously completely different conditions here. I do have more experience playing in many more grand slam or Wimbledon finals than him. Still, he’s in great shape. He’s very motivated. He’s young. He’s hungry. I’m hungry, too, so let’s have a feast.”

While on paper it appeared a comfortable win for Djokovic against Sinner, there were moments of real tension, particularly when he saved two set points at 4-5 in the third set and before that in the fourth game of the second, when he was penalised for a hindrance by British umpire Richard Haigh.

At 15-15, Djokovic suddenly let out a loud and late grunt after hitting a backhand down the line that he probably expected to be a winner only for Sinner to reach it.

It is unusual for a grunt to elicit a hindrance ruling and Djokovic reacted with disbelief, saying to Haigh: “You must be joking. Calling that in the semi-final of Wimbledon? What are you doing?”

To compound the situation, Haigh then gave Djokovic a time violation in the same game for taking too long on his serve.

“I have to accept the decision from a chair umpire,” said the 36-year-old later. “I’ve never had a hindrance call for an extended grunt. I saw the replay. I saw that my grunt finished before he hit the shot. So I thought that chair umpire’s call was not correct.

“I was just trying to hold my things mentally together and not really get upset, even though I was really upset because I didn’t think it was the right call.”

The crowd were willing Sinner to make a contest of it and sensed the moment had come when the 21-year-old Italian created two set points in the third.

Djokovic clapped sarcastically and gave a thumbs up when noise delayed his second serve, with a man shouting ‘Vamos Rafa’, and was then booed for taunting the crowd when Sinner missed both chances.

When Djokovic held serve, he turned to the fans closest to him and mimed crying.

It is far from the first time the second seed has expressed annoyance with crowds cheering against him but, asked about it in his press conference, he said only with a smile: “It’s all love. All love and acceptance.”

Sinner and Djokovic had met in the quarter-finals here last year, when the Italian opened up a two-set lead only for his opponent to win in five.

Sinner certainly had his chances in this one but was unable to take any of the six break points he created, while 20 unforced errors on his powerful forehand, often at important moments, rather told the story.

Djokovic took his only chance in the first set and it was not until Sinner fought back from 0-40 to hold serve in the third game of the third set that he was really able to apply any consistent pressure.

He made errors on both of his set points, though, and then squandered a 3-1 lead in the tie-break with a double fault and more mistakes – Djokovic’s winning tie-break streak at grand slams now stands at 15.

Sinner was left to rue his missed chances, saying: “Regardless of the score, I felt like I was more close this year than last year.

“I’m trying to play in these situations more often. I felt like I was ready. I went with the right mentality on the court. I had a belief to win this match. I felt like my level was good. It was just, especially in the pressure points, I messed it up a little bit.”

Carlos Alcaraz set up a Wimbledon final for the ages after dismantling Daniil Medvedev on Centre Court.

The 20-year-old became the youngest man to reach the final since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 with a commanding 6-3 6-3 6-3 victory.

Alcaraz, the world number one and top seed, will face Novak Djokovic, the seven-time champion who is 16 years his senior, in Sunday’s mouthwatering showpiece.

Medvedev, the third seed and a former US Open champion, has been playing some superb grass-court tennis this fortnight.

But Alcaraz is no respecter of reputations, and the changing of the tennis guard could finally be on the cards if the man from Murcia plays with this ferocity against Djokovic.

It was a victory which also spared Wimbledon chiefs the uncomfortable situation of the Princess of Wales handing a trophy to, and shaking hands with, a player from Russia, after they were banned from the Championships last year due to the war in Ukraine.

Medvedev beat Alcaraz in the second round in SW19 two years ago, in what was only the then teenager’s second match on grass.

But the 27-year-old knew he was facing a very different opponent this year. Alcaraz, after all, is the current US Open champion and won on the turf at Queen’s last month.

Medvedev clearly had a gameplan and stood so far behind the baseline to receive the Alcaraz serve that he was virtually on Court One.

It was a tactic which Alcaraz exploited, serving and volleying to great effect as well as throwing in his usual dose of drop shots, including three winners in one service hold.

Alcaraz grabbed the solitary break in the first set, hitting a vicious return to the feet of Medvedev, who could only float his reply long.

At 1-1 in the second, a stunning reaction volley at the net brought up another break point for the youngster, converted with almost audacious ease, and another break put him two sets up with a little over an hour on the Rolex.

Medvedev twice retrieved breaks in the third but it was only delaying the inevitable, with Alcaraz sealing the deal with another brutal forehand before raising his arms in celebration.