Carlos Alcaraz said he will remember this summer "for the rest of his life" despite his defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics. 

Alcaraz, who has already won two grand slams at the French Open and Wimbledon this year, finished with a silver medal at the Games earlier this month. 

The Spaniard will take part in this week's Cincinnati Open where he will face either Gael Monfils or recent Canadian Open winner Alexei Popyrin in the second round. 

Alcaraz has the opportunity to claim a second US Open title in two weeks time, but had the chance to reflect on an incredible few months ahead of his first match in Ohio. 

“It has been some incredible months in my life and career after winning Roland-Garros, a tournament that I was very excited to win, and of course Wimbledon, which is wonderful to be able to win it,” Alcaraz told the ATP Tour.

“Also, one of my dreams was to win an Olympic medal. I have enjoyed a lot these last few months. They were incredible and I enjoyed it a lot.

“I am also very happy with my tennis and the way I handled different situations. I think I have improved a lot as a player, so I am very happy.

“Of course, in tennis the season is not over, and we have to carry on pushing our best in each tournament but, of course, I will remember these months [for] the rest of my life.”

Alcaraz also partnered up with fellow compatriot Rafael Nadal in the men's doubles at Roland-Garros during the Olympics in the French capital. 

The Spanish pair, dubbed 'Nadalcaraz' at the Games, lost in the quarter-finals to America's fourth-seeded duo Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in straight sets. 

And while his journey with the 22-time grand slam champion fell short of a medal, Alcaraz said it was a dream come true to play alongside one of his sporting heroes. 

“It was a great experience, talking with Rafa off the court, knowing each other much better off the court. It was a great experience, obviously, playing doubles together," Alcaraz said.

“It was something that I will never forget, for sure. I learned a lot talking to him on court, off the court as well.

“I think we played great tennis in doubles, even if we are not used to playing doubles very often.

“A little bit disappointing at the end, because we thought that we could do it better, but in general, we were happy.

“Obviously talking about myself, I reached my dream, my dream came true, playing doubles alongside Rafa.”

Carlos Alcaraz "can do everything" and could get "very close" to Novak Djokovic's record of 24 grand slam titles, having denied the tennis great his 25th at Wimbledon.

That is according to Vasek Pospisil, who believes "all the signs" point towards Alcaraz having a career to compare with Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the All England Club final to win his fourth major at the age of just 21.

He is still 20 titles short of his opponent, who holds the men's record and has matched Margaret Court's all-time singles benchmark.

But former Wimbledon doubles champion Pospisil, speaking to Stats Perform as the co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), believes that gap can quickly close.

Pospisil said: "We can't see into the future, but the fact that he's just 21 and he already has four grand slams...

"You put things into perspective: Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray both have three each, if I'm not mistaken. He already has one more, and he's 21.

"So, for sure, unless he gets injured or unlucky or something out of his control pops up, all the signs are there that he'll be very close to those records if he keeps on the track that he's going, if not break them.

"I mean, we never know, right? Obviously at this stage, time will tell. But these grand slams can tally up pretty quickly.

"Just two years ago, he won his first one, and he's already got four. We just barely even blinked, and he has four slams already.

"So, it'll be interesting to see where he's at in five or six years. He'll be just really entering his prime and he may have 10, 11, 12 grand slams in five years."

Djokovic did not win his fourth major until he was 24, while Federer was 23.

Of the three all-time greats, Nadal was the youngest to that mark, with a fourth successive French Open title coming days after his 22nd birthday.

And it is a young Nadal, another Spaniard, who Pospisil sees in Alcaraz, although the Wimbledon champion might even have a more complete game.

"He brings a similar kind of intensity that Nadal did when he burst onto the scene," Pospisil told Stats Perform.

"It was something that we weren't really used to seeing, someone playing with that kind of force and energy in every shot that he hit, so Alcaraz brings some of that to the table.

"But then he is also just hitting through the court a little bit more. Rafa was a little bit more passive and then started being more aggressive as he got older.

"Alcaraz, right from the get-go, he's really just using that athleticism and power to really put a lot of pressure on players. He can do everything. He's a full-court, all-court player.

"You see he's already won at least one grand slam per surface, so he's clearly extremely versatile."

Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz does not believe his convincing final victory over Novak Djokovic marks the start of a new era for tennis.

Alcaraz clinched his second Wimbledon title – and his fourth at grand slams overall – in mesmerising fashion on Sunday, thrashing seven-time champion Djokovic in straight sets.

The Spaniard needed just 73 minutes to take the first two sets before being pushed closer in the third, ultimately winning 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4).

Djokovic – who turned 37 in May – could now go a full calendar year without a major title for just the second time since 2010, and the first since 2017.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, is the third-youngest man to win back-to-back Wimbledon titles in the Open Era (21 years, 70 days), older only than Boris Becker (18 years, 227 days, 1985-86) and Bjorn Borg (21 years, 26 days, 1976-77).

However, asked by Spanish publication AS whether he was the figurehead of a new era for the sport, Alcaraz said: "I don't really feel that way. 

"I've seen a lot of people who have said it's a generational change, a new era, a changing of the guard after Sunday's match, but in the end I don't see it that way. 

"We try to work as hard as possible to put Djokovic in trouble, to try to be there as many times as we can, but I don't feel that there is a change of era, a generational change or a changing of the guard, not at the moment."

Sunday was a great day for Spanish sport as Luis de la Fuente's football team beat England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final, with substitute Mikel Oyarzabal netting the winner.

Alcaraz believes the performances of 17-year-old Lamine Yamal and 22-year-old Nico Williams point to a bright future for football, and sport in general, in Spain.

"When I finished my game I had a message from [Alvaro] Morata, who is the one I talk to the most, the one I get along with the best," he revealed. 

"One of the first people I called in the dressing room was him, who was walking to the stadium before playing the final. I wished him all the luck in the world. 

"Lamine, Nico are 17, 22-year-old boys, who have made the difference in this European Championship. It was the first time they played with the national team. 

"They have done it in an incredible way. It's great to see new players in Spain who fight like them, who give their all for the flag, for the country. 

"I think it's wonderful to have a national team and young athletes who are pointing the way, who are going up. Hopefully we will have many years of enjoyment."

Novak Djokovic knows there is still plenty more to come from Carlos Alcaraz after the Spaniard's dominant display in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz beat Djokovic 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) to retain his crown at All England Club and clinch his fourth major title overall.

At 21 years and 70 days, he is the youngest player to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

And while Alcaraz said he does not count himself among the list of tennis' great champions, Djokovic has no doubt that the next generation's superstar is destined to scale such heights.

"Obviously, not the result I wanted, in the first couple of sets, the level of tennis wasn't up to par from my side," Djokovic said.

"But credit to Carlos for playing some amazing tennis, very complete, he had it all today.

"I tried to push him, saved the three match points and extended the match a little bit, but it wasn't meant to be.

"He was a deserved winner today, so a huge congratulations to him for an amazing performance.

"To his team, his family, an amazing job you guys are doing, clearly. Everything you have done so far, he's only 21, it's incredible, we'll see a lot of you, I'm sure."

Alcaraz and Djokovic have already met six times, with three of those matches coming in finals, including last year's Wimbledon showpiece. They share an even 3-3 record.

After 50 games, 114 goals and 10 different host cities, Euro 2024 comes to an end on Sunday evening. 

England, featuring in back-to-back European Championship finals, aim to end their 58-year wait for an international honour. 

But standing in their way are a Spain side yet to taste defeat in Germany, with the potential of claiming a record fourth title. 

Here, we round up the best Euro 2024 social media posts ahead of this evening's final in Berlin.

'I've done my job'

Sunday could prove to be a famous sporting day for Spain, and they are already guaranteed one champion, after Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic to retain the Wimbledon title.

Asked for his thoughts on the match after his triumph on Centre Court, Alcaraz - much to chagrin of the English crowd - quipped: "I've already done my job."

Thankfully for Alcaraz, the crowd were quickly back on side, as he explained he will watch the match with his team, albeit he also has the champions' ball to negotiate too. Quite the evening for the youngster!

Back to where it all started

For all of England's 26-man squad, playing in a major final for your country would have merely been a dream when they first got to play the beautiful game. 

However, that is now a reality. 

From Stourbridge Juniors to Ridgeway Rovers, England Football posted to X a video paying tribute to each players journey. 

Final instructions

Ahead of Spain's fifth European Championship final, every little detail must be covered to ensure success on the grandest of stages. 

The cameras captured the moment the players entered their final tactical meeting before taking to the pitch in Berlin.  

Turn the page

Having gone so close in previous years, England have the opportunity to create history at Euro 2024. 

Southgate has come so close to ending the Three Lions' wait for an international honour, and is just one game away from achieving that. 

As the nation waits, they were able to relive some of England's best moments in Germany so far. 

Spain introduce 27th member of the squad

Just hours before their third meeting with England at the European Championships, Luis de la Fuente welcomed another player to his squad, although he will not feature on the pitch in Berlin. 

Barcelona midfielder Gavi, who missed the tournament through injury while on international duty last year, joined up with the squad ahead of the final in Berlin. 

The 19-year-old was welcomed by the La Roja head coach and RFEF president Pedro Rocha. 

Fleetwood shows his support

Having clinched the Ryder Cup for Team Europe last year, Tommy Fleetwood knows all too well the pressure that comes with the big moments.

The world number 11 is currently taking part in the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, and arrived on the final day sporting an England shirt. 

And Luke, don't pull your hamstring... again!

With Luke Shaw, who scored in the final of Euro 2020, possibly starting the final in Berlin on Sunday, new Manchester United minority shareholder Jim Ratcliffe had one wish for the club's left-back... to not get injured. 

Ratcliffe also praised Kobbie Mainoo for his performances at the tournament, and wished the United duo good luck against Spain. 

Novak Djokovic is "living his childhood dream" every time he steps out on Wimbledon's Centre Court, despite his straight-sets defeat to Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday.

Djokovic, who has played in each of the last six finals at All England Club, faced Alcaraz in a repeat of last year's championship match but fell to a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) defeat.

It was his 10th Wimbledon final overall, with this one even more impressive due to his recovery from a knee operation that he suffered at the French Open, which was also won by Alcaraz.

A win would have made Djokovic the most decorated player in grand slam history, and taken him level with Roger Federer's record of eight men's singles crowns at SW19.

And the 37-year-old chose to look on the bright side as he took in Centre Court after the match.

"I have to be very proud," Djokovic said.

"Obviously, it's a bit of a disappointment right now, but when I reflect on the last couple of weeks and the last four to five weeks and what I've been through, along with my team members and family, I'm very satisfied, because Wimbledon was always the childhood dream of mine, playing on the centre stage.

"I try to remind myself how surreal it is to be here, even if I've been blessed to be in 10 finals, every single time I step on Centre Court, it feels like the first time. I'm living my childhood dream."

Djokovic is a 24-time major champion and after a glittering career, he claimed he may end up moving into coaching for his children in the future... if they in fact do want to take up tennis.

"My kids, they now start to like tennis a little bit," he added with a smile over at his family.

"I don't know if I have the nerves to keep on going with a coaching career for my son. There are a lot of beautiful things other than tennis, but if you wish to pursue it, I'll be there for you.

"I want to say thanks to my whole team, physio, everyone, for sticking with me through good and bad times. We're the only ones who know what we've been through. Let's keep it going."

Carlos Alcaraz "repeated the dream" after securing back-to-back Wimbledon titles by overcoming Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz was in dominant form from the off on Sunday and, despite a late wobble, clinched his fourth major title in straight sets.

The Spaniard did have to settle his nerves in the final set, having squandered three championship points on his own serve.

But having found his rhythm again in the tiebreak, Alcaraz played two exceptional drop shots to set the stage for a loose return from Djokovic to round off a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win.

"It's a dream for me, winning this trophy," Alcaraz said.

"I did an interview when I was 11 or 12, saying my dream is to win Wimbledon. I've repeated my dream. I want to keep going, but it's a great feeling to play on this beautiful court, win this beautiful trophy. It's the most beautiful tournament, court and trophy.

"Djokovic is an unbelievable fighter, I knew he would have his chances again. I tried to win it on my serve. I couldn't, but I tried to stay calm, stay positive and play my best tennis in the tiebreak. I found the solutions."

The 21-year-old has become the youngest player in the Open Era to triumph at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

"Just fighting, believing, it's a huge tournament for me and a huge achievement for me to be part of those players who have won Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the same year," said Alcaraz.

"[They are] huge champions. I don't consider myself as much of a champion yet as them, but I'll keep on going, keep on building my path."

Djokovic made a miraculous recovery from knee surgery to feature at SW19, where he reached the final for the 10th time in his career, a tally bettered only by Roger Federer (12).

"Some words for Novak and his team," Alcaraz added as he addressed the seven-time Wimbledon champion.

"It's been a really difficult few weeks for you, unbelievable work to play this tournament after the surgery. I have huge respect for you and your team."

Carlos Alcaraz turned on the style as he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to retain his Wimbledon title.

In a repeat of last year's final, Alcaraz prevailed 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) on Sunday to become the youngest player in the Open Era to triumph at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

Alcaraz started as he meant to go on, breaking Djokovic in the very first game to immediately put the seven-time champion on the back foot.

Another break followed in game five, as the Spaniard truly took control, wrapping up the opening set in just 41 minutes and offering up only one break point, which he clawed back anyway, en route.

It was a similar story in set two - Alcaraz crisply putting himself a break up and playing some immaculate shots as he made even lighter work of making it 2-0.

Djokovic fended off four break points to go 2-1 up in the third set and had a fantastic chance of pulling a break of his own back in game six, until Alcaraz hit back with some venomous serves to claim a crucial hold before then setting himself up for apparent glory.

Yet a remarkable wobble saw Alcaraz squander three championship points on serve, and Djokovic needed no second invitation to edge himself ahead, with a tiebreak required.

A bad miss on a forehand pass compounded Alcaraz's frustration, yet the 21-year-old recovered and, with two exquisite drop shots, teed up his fourth championship point.

And this time, there was to be no mistake, a loose return into the net from Djokovic marking a resounding success for tennis' bona fide superstar.

Changing of the guard

For the vast majority of this final, Alcaraz dazzled on Centre Court. Djokovic, in his 10th Wimbledon final, simply could not cope during the opening two sets.

Indeed, even in the third, Alcaraz had the match in his hands until that incredible slip-up. But he recovered, and even if he does not top the ATP rankings, there can be no doubting Alcaraz will always be the man to beat.

At 21 years and 70 days, Alcaraz is the third-youngest player in the Open Era to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon in back-to-back editions, after Boris Becker (18y 227d, 1985-86) and Bjorn Borg (21y 26d, 1976-77).

Only Rod Laver (19) has registered more wins from his first 20 matches at the All England Club than Alcaraz (18/20) during the Open Era, who is the youngest player to win all his first six seasonal matches against top-five ranked players since the ATP Rankings were published in 1973.

It is now four grand slam titles for Alcaraz, who will be hoping his victory set the tone for a great sporting day for Spain, with their national football team in action against England in the Euro 2024 final later in the day.

No joy for Novak

At 37, time is running out for Djokovic as he looks to match Roger Federer's haul of eight Wimbledon titles.

For a fleeting moment in that final set, Alcaraz's stumble looked like it might open the door for the Serbian great, but as it was, Djokovic will have to come back and have another shot at that Federer record next year.

Djokovic is also still one away from overtaking Margaret Court for the player with the outright most major titles in history, while he has also been made to wait for his 99th ATP Tour-level title (only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) have more in men's singles during the Open Era).

He is the only player to reach 10 men's singles finals at three of the four majors, but the day belonged to Alcaraz, who is just the second player in the Open Era to win his first four singles finals at grand slams, after Federer.

Novak Djokovic knows "history is on the line" as he prepares to face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final for the second year running.

The Serb can move clear of Margaret Court and become the most decorated player in Grand Slam history with a 25th title, while matching Roger Federer's record of eight men's singles crowns at SW19.

Djokovic will appear in his 10th Wimbledon final on Sunday, aiming to avenge his defeat by Alcaraz in a five-set thriller on Centre Court 12 months ago.

The 37-year-old acknowledges there will be huge expectations on his shoulders when he steps out for a sixth consecutive championship match at the All England Club, but he will attempt to use it as "fuel" for success.

"Obviously, I'm aware that Roger holds eight Wimbledon [titles]. I hold seven," he said. "History is on the line. Also, the 25th potential Grand Slam.

"Of course, it serves as a great motivation, but at the same time, it's also a lot of pressure and expectation.

"Any Grand Slam that I play, there's always history now on the line. I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.

"Every time I step out on the court now, even though I'm 37 and competing with 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99% of the matches that I play.

"I always have to come out on the court and perform my best in order to still be at a level with Carlos, Jannik [Sinner], Sascha [Zverev], Daniil [Medvedev], or any of those guys."

Incredibly, Djokovic has endured a silverware-free season up to this point, while he withdrew from last month's French Open at the quarter-final stage to undergo knee surgery.

However, the 24-time major champion highlighted 2018 as a previous example of a successful campaign that had started slowly.

Indeed, he recovered from an elbow operation earlier in the year - along with fourth-round and quarter-final exits from the Australian Open and French Open respectively - to win Wimbledon and the US Open.

"This year hasn't been that successful for me," he added. "It's probably the weakest results in the first six months I've had in many years.

"That's okay. I had to adapt and accept that, and also really try to find a way out from the injury that I had and regroup.

"At Wimbledon, historically, there have been seasons where I maybe wasn't playing at a desired level, but then I would win a Wimbledon title and then things would change.

"Wimbledon just extracts the best of me and motivates me to always show up and perform the best I can."

Novak Djokovic knows "history is on the line" as he prepares to face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final for the second year running.

The Serb can move clear of Margaret Court and become the most decorated player in Grand Slam history with a 25th title, while matching Roger Federer's record of eight men's singles crowns at SW19.

Djokovic will appear in his 10th Wimbledon final on Sunday, aiming to avenge his defeat by Alcaraz in a five-set thriller on Centre Court 12 months ago.

The 37-year-old acknowledges there will be huge expectations on his shoulders when he steps out for a sixth consecutive championship match at the All England Club, but he will attempt to use it as "fuel" for success.

"Obviously, I'm aware that Roger holds eight Wimbledon [titles]. I hold seven," he said. "History is on the line. Also, the 25th potential Grand Slam.

"Of course, it serves as a great motivation, but at the same time, it's also a lot of pressure and expectation.

"Any Grand Slam that I play, there's always history now on the line. I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.

"Every time I step out on the court now, even though I'm 37 and competing with 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99% of the matches that I play.

"I always have to come out on the court and perform my best in order to still be at a level with Carlos, Jannik [Sinner], Sascha [Zverev], Daniil [Medvedev], or any of those guys."

Incredibly, Djokovic has endured a silverware-free season up to this point, while he withdrew from last month's French Open at the quarter-final stage to undergo knee surgery.

However, the 24-time major champion highlighted 2018 as a previous example of a successful campaign that had started slowly.

Indeed, he recovered from an elbow operation earlier in the year - along with fourth-round and quarter-final exits from the Australian Open and French Open respectively - to win Wimbledon and the US Open.

"This year hasn't been that successful for me," he added. "It's probably the weakest results in the first six months I've had in many years.

"That's okay. I had to adapt and accept that, and also really try to find a way out from the injury that I had and regroup.

"At Wimbledon, historically, there have been seasons where I maybe wasn't playing at a desired level, but then I would win a Wimbledon title and then things would change.

"Wimbledon just extracts the best of me and motivates me to always show up and perform the best I can."

Barbora Krejcikova said winning Wimbledon marks the best day of her life as she celebrated an unexpected triumph.

The Czech earned her maiden title at All England Club with a hard-fought 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory over Jasmine Paolini in Saturday's final.

It brought up Krejcikova's second grand slam title, after the 2021 French Open, making her the seventh player to win their first women's singles finals at both tournaments.

Having pulled off three major shocks to get to the final, knocking out Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, and Elena Rybakina, Krejcikova appeared stunned when she finally got her hands on the trophy.

"I don't have any words right now, it's just unbelievable. It's definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life," Krejcikova said.

"It's super difficult to explain what I'm feeling right now. I would like to congratulate Jasmine and her team. She had a great two weeks, it was a great final, and we were fighting for every point.

"I think nobody believes that I got to the final and nobody believes that I won Wimbledon. I still can't believe it.

"I didn't really have a good beginning to the season. It's unbelievable I'm stood here now, and I've won Wimbledon. I have no idea [how it happened]."

Following her win over Rybakina in the semi-final, Krejcikova paid tribute to Jana Novotna, who passed away in 2017 from ovarian cancer at the age of 49.

She first met the 1998 Wimbledon winner 10 years ago, and has now emulated her former mentor's achievements.

"I think that day, knocking on her door, it changed my life," an emotional Krejcikova added. "Because in that period when I finished the juniors, I didn’t know what to do – should I continue playing pro or go into education?

"She was the one who told me I had the potential, and I should definitely turn pro. Before she passed away, she told me I can win a slam.

"I achieved that in Paris in 2021 – it was an unbelievable moment for me, and I never really dreamed I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998."

Jasmine Paolini insists she will try to keep smiling despite falling to her second consecutive grand slam final defeat against Barbora Krejcikova at Wimbledon. 

Paolini was beaten in the final of the French Open by Iga Swiatek last month and suffered a familiar fate on Centre Court. 

The Italian rallied in the second set to take the game to a decider, but Krejcikova was able to find the edge in the seventh game to secure her second major crown.

Paolini's two showpiece match defeats saw her become the sixth woman to lose at both the Roland Garros and All England Club in the same calendar year. 

Paolini shared a warm embrace at the net with Krejcikova, who became the seventh different winner in the last seven Wimbledon finals. 

The world number seven was gracious in defeat, thanking her team and finally for what she described as a "crazy" two-month period. 

"To see this stadium full is a dream come true. Barbora, you played unbelievable. You play such beautiful tennis. Congrats to you and your team," Paolini said. 

"The last two months have been crazy for me. I want to thank my team, my family. They always support me and I wouldn't be here without them.

"The crowd have been amazing. I received a lot of support. Just incredible to feel the love from them. I enjoy it so much.

"Today I am a little bit sad. I try to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day. I made the final of Wimbledon.

"I remember as a kid watching the final and cheering for Federer, I have to say. It's been a beautiful two weeks and I want to thank everyone who made it possible."

Barbora Krejcikova has won her first Wimbledon title after going the distance against Jasmine Paolini in the final on Saturday.

After a scare in the second set, the Czech rallied in a tight decider to win 6-2 2-6 6-4 in just under two hours on Centre Court.

Krejcikova could not have hoped for a better start as she asserted her dominance with a vital break in the first game.

Though Paolini successfully defended two break points during her next serve, she struggled to match her opponent's intensity as Krejcikova raced to a 5-1 advantage.

Paolini came out on a mission in the second set, though, with the Italian reeling off three games in a row.

A second break for Paolini forced the decider, and it was not until the seventh game of that set that Krejcikova found the edge.

A gripping final game swung one way and then the other, Paolini clawing back two championship points either side seeing a break attempt of her own reeled in by Krejcikova.

Yet it was a case of third time lucky when Paolini went long, handing Krejcikova her second major crown.

Krejcikova shines in the spotlight

Krejcikova said before the final that she wanted to enjoy her time in the spotlight after making complaints last year that other names on the WTA Tour were being given more focus.

She had won just three singles matches in five months coming into Wimbledon, but firmly put that form behind her.

On her way to the title, she pulled off three big shocks, knocking out Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, and Elena Rybakina.

Krejcikova's triumph on Saturday means she has won 13 main draw matches at the All England Club, level with her career-best at the Australian Open (13).

And, following her French Open win three years ago, Krejcikova is just the first Czech player in the Open Era to secure the Women's Singles grand slam titles at different events.

So close, but so far

It has been quite the year for Paolini, who reached her first-ever grand slam final at the French Open last month, only to lose to Iga Swiatek.

And one has become two with this dream run at SW19.

Before this year, she had never won a match at All England Club, exiting in the first round in her previous three appearances. In fact, she had not won a Tour-level match on grass until June, when she reached the semi-finals of Eastbourne.

She went on to win six more at Wimbledon, but could not maintain that momentum in the final.

Paolini has now joined an unwanted list as the sixth woman to lose both the French Open and Wimbledon finals in the same calendar year, after Evonne Goolagong (1972), Chris Evert (1973 and 1984), Olga Morozova (1974), Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (1995 and 1996) and Venus Williams (2002).

Novak Djokovic says Carlos Alcaraz is "as complete a player as they come", after setting up a rematch with the Spaniard in this year's Wimbledon final.

The seven-time champion booked his place in a 10th SW19 showpiece - and sixth in a row - following a straight-sets victory over Lorenzo Musetti on Centre Court.

Reigning champion Alcaraz once again stands in the way of an eighth Wimbledon crown - and record-breaking 25th major title - with Djokovic aiming to avenge his defeat by the Spaniard in last year's final.

And the Serb paid tribute to the 21-year-old, who is eyeing a fourth career major and second of the season - adding to last month's French Open triumph.

"He's a great example of a player that has an all-round balance," Djokovic said.

"He has a great team around him, great values in his life, a lot of charisma and is someone who carries himself superbly. That's one of the reasons why he is so popular.

"He's one of the greatest 21-year-olds we've ever seen, and we're going to see a lot of him in the future, no doubt. He's going to win many Grand Slams, but hopefully not in two days. He can do it when I retire.

"He already beat me here in a Wimbledon final in a five-set thriller, so I don't expect anything less than a huge battle. He is as complete a player as they come, so it's going to take the best of my ability to beat him."

Djokovic's run to the final is all the more remarkable considering he underwent knee surgery just over a month ago following his withdrawal from Roland-Garros.

And despite the initial uncertainty surrounding his participation in the grass-court major, he is thrilled with the strides he has made in such a short space of time.

"There was plenty of doubt," admitted Djokovic. "I came into London eight days before the tournament started. I didn’t know [if I would play] and was keeping everything open until the day of the draw.

"I played a couple of practice sets with top players and that proved to me that I was in a good enough state to not just be in Wimbledon, but to go deep into the tournament. That kind of mentality is there and is ever present.

"I'm obviously very, very pleased and satisfied to get to another final, but I don't want to stop there."

Novak Djokovic says Carlos Alcaraz is "as complete a player as they come", after setting up a rematch with the Spaniard in this year's Wimbledon final.

The seven-time champion booked his place in a 10th SW19 showpiece - and sixth in a row - following a straight-sets victory over Lorenzo Musetti on Centre Court.

Reigning champion Alcaraz once again stands in the way of an eighth Wimbledon crown - and record-breaking 25th major title - with Djokovic aiming to avenge his defeat by the Spaniard in last year's final.

And the Serb paid tribute to the 21-year-old, who is eyeing a fourth career major and second of the season - adding to last month's French Open triumph.

"He's a great example of a player that has an all-round balance," Djokovic said.

"He has a great team around him, great values in his life, a lot of charisma and is someone who carries himself superbly. That's one of the reasons why he is so popular.

"He's one of the greatest 21-year-olds we've ever seen, and we're going to see a lot of him in the future, no doubt. He's going to win many Grand Slams, but hopefully not in two days. He can do it when I retire.

"He already beat me here in a Wimbledon final in a five-set thriller, so I don't expect anything less than a huge battle. He is as complete a player as they come, so it's going to take the best of my ability to beat him."

Djokovic's run to the final is all the more remarkable considering he underwent knee surgery just over a month ago following his withdrawal from Roland-Garros.

And despite the initial uncertainty surrounding his participation in the grass-court major, he is thrilled with the strides he has made in such a short space of time.

"There was plenty of doubt," admitted Djokovic. "I came into London eight days before the tournament started. I didn’t know [if I would play] and was keeping everything open until the day of the draw.

"I played a couple of practice sets with top players and that proved to me that I was in a good enough state to not just be in Wimbledon, but to go deep into the tournament. That kind of mentality is there and is ever present.

"I'm obviously very, very pleased and satisfied to get to another final, but I don't want to stop there."