The Gentlemen’s Singles Final at Wimbledon was on this afternoon – Novak Djokovic, the 36-year-old defending champion from Serbia, played against the 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz from Spain. Both wanted to win, and both nearly did, but only one could claim the trophy.

The match went to five sets, with the two circling around the court like leopards, their reactions so quick, their bodies so supple, their concentration so intense. To be present, even from a distance, felt a huge privilege. It was like watching an epic duel through Attenborough eyes – two males of the same species, fighting for one prize – domination – their families waiting anxiously behind them. And it wasn’t just any two males, it was the ultimate two, the final pair, the bravest and best, the winners of endless contests to reach this point.

In the end, after over four hours, the victory went to Carlos Alcaraz, the third youngest winner in Wimbledon history. The man who lost, Djokovic, accepted his defeat like a player among players, head high, wearing his wounds lightly, and acknowledging the achievement of the first team to have knocked him from his Wimbldedon centre court pedestal since 2013.

What a moment in tennis.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023