Alcaraz destroys Djokovic's dream of beating Court mark

Djokovic's hopes of moving clear of the tally of 24 grand slams he shares with Australian Margaret Court were simply dismantled by the dazzling Alcaraz, who was operating on a wholly different plane as he blitzed his way to a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) triumph on Sunday.

Twelve months after Alcaraz had outlasted the great Serb in a five-set classic on Centre Court, it felt almost shocking to witness how the young Spaniard this time cemented his fresh dominance at the grass-court slam with a much more one-sided, even more magnificent victory.

And Djokovic was the first to recognise the brutality of his hammering, as he shrugged: "I was inferior on the court. That's it. He was a better player. He played every single shot better than I did, he had it all today."

Indeed, from the moment Alcaraz won the first game of the match, a 14-minute, seven-deuce affair, to break Djokovic at the fifth attempt, the former champion, just five weeks since surgery on a torn meniscus, was made to look all of his 37 years.

Seeming flat and vainly chasing Alcaraz's tracers - 42 glorious winners, from drops shots to 106mph forehand bullets - Djokovic has rarely been taken to the cleaners like this as the Spanish comet landed his fourth grand slam at only 21.

Without a triumph all season, Djokovic battled as valiantly as ever, but this was a shadow of the 'Nole' of old, error-ridden and unable to cope with the extraordinary firepower and constant pressure being unleashed from the other side of the net.

Still, he protested afterwards: "In the face of adversity, normally I rise and I learn and get stronger - that's what I'm going to do."

Yet this really did feel like the day the Alcaraz era was being pronounced loud and clear - "the official changing of the guard," as Nick Kyrgios put it in the BBC commentary box - as the Spaniard simply looked to have moved to another stratosphere.

Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner is officially the world No.1 but, here, Alcaraz was simply the best.

Alcaraz was adamant he still didn't belong with the elite champions. But he's joined Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Mats Wilander in grabbing four grand slam titles aged 21 or under, and there's an irresistible feel he could eclipse them all.

"Obviously it's a really great start of my career but I have to keep building my path," he beamed.

"At the end of my career, I want to sit at the same table as the big guys. That's my dream right now.

"I don't know what is my limit. I don't want to think about it. I just want to keep enjoying my moment, just to keep dreaming. So let's see if at the end of my career (if) it's going to be 25, 30, 15, four."

It won't be four - that's for sure.

Outplayed, there was just one flicker of major resistance from the old warrior.

Three match points down at 5-4 with Alcaraz serving for the Championship, the Spaniard blinked, serving up a double fault and tightening with the winning line tantalisingly in his grasp.

But the reprieve was merely temporary. Alcaraz was back to his sublime best again in the tie-break, which he decorated with an amazing half-volley pick up at the net and an exquisite forehand drop shot that earned him a fourth match point.

This time, there was no way back as Djokovic smacked his backhand service return into the net after two hours 27 minutes of torture for him.

The crowd shouted "Nole!" to salute him. You only feel the love at Wimbledon when you start losing.

Australian Associated Press