SOUL OF SPORT: Fans descend on Centre Court as Carlos Alcaraz wins first Wimbledon title in thriller
SOUL OF SPORT: After Carlos Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon title in five-set thriller to cap a memorable fortnight… take a look back through the best images from SW19 taken by ANDY HOOPER and KEVIN QUIGLEY
- Every week on a Monday, our Soul of Sport series will take readers behind the scenes at top sporting events
- ANDY HOOPER and KEVIN QUIGLEY were in attendance at Wimbledon covering the last fortnight’s action
- Their photographs captured all of the triumphs, drama and intrigue from Centre Court and beyond at SW19
- Latest Wimbledon 2023 news, including schedule, travel updates and results
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Welcome back to the Soul of Sport. For our latest episode of the series, ANDY HOOPER and KEVIN QUIGLEY travelled to Wimbledon to capture the action over the last fortnight, culminating in the men’s singles final at Centre Court.
Carlos Alcaraz took on reigning champion Novak Djokovic with the World No 1 title on the line, only for the Spanish 20-year-old to become the first man in a decade to beat the Serbian great on Centre Court.
In a thrilling five-set encounter the momentum turned in both player’s favours, before uncharacteristic errors from Djokovic in the fifth and final set handed Alcaraz the impetus.
It was a fitting end to another stunning 14 days of tennis from SW19, which also saw unseeded Marketa Vondrousova defy the odds to beat last year’s finalist Ons Jabeur in the women’s singles, while Henry Searle ended Britain’s 61-year wait for a boy to win the junior’s single title.
It was a changing of the guard moment, with Alcaraz now a two-time grand slam single’s title-winner, as well as the World No 1. Our men captured the iconic moments using Nikon Z9 cameras and 24-70mm, 70-200mm and 400mm lenses.
Novak Djokovic hurtled into the net trying to save a point against Pole Hubert Hurkacz in his four-set win in the round of 16
The Championships were punctuated by poor weather with the roof often closed on Centre Court during the fortnight
In one such rain delay, Tomas Machac kept loose in the corridor during a battling four-set loss to British No 1 Cameron Norrie
The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s pigeon deterrent Rufus the Hawk has been scaring away unwanted pests for 15 years
The famous Queue for access to the Wimbledon grounds saw spectators arrive in the early hours to claim a spot in the line
Fans were reminded of the heritage at SW19 with the likes of former winners Djokovic and Roger Federer – with Carlos Alcaraz’s presence as a future Wimbledon icon perhaps neatly foreshadowed
American ninth seed Taylor Fritz suffered a shock second-round exit at the hands of unseeded Mikael Ymer on Court 18
While the Championships saw frequent downpours during the tournament, fans were also able to soak up some sun on court
Katie Boulter established herself as a force in women’s tennis but her run was ended by last year’s champion Elena Rybakina
Fans making their way from Wimbledon station walked past a knitted cover of the area’s fictional residents, the Wombles
Poland’s Iga Swiatek came into the competition as one of the favourites as the top seed and reigning French Open champion
Spectators inside the grounds paid homage to some of SW19’s greatest champions Rafael Nadal who were both absent this year – Nadal was injured while Federer has hung up his racket
Petra Kvitova won just three games in her third round meeting with finalist Ons Jabeur, losing against the Tunisian 6-0, 6-3
Elina Svitolina – whose narrative won the hearts of many tennis fans over the last fortnight – showed off one of her tattoos
Fans flocked to Henman Hill to watch footage of the final with the outdoor viewing area reaching full capacity on Sunday
Excited fans enjoy a glass of Pimms outside of the court with the iconic drink a staple for tournament-goers over the years
The Order of Play boards told fans who was in action – and where they could find them – during the action-packed tournament
Ardent young tennis fans clamour for tennis balls to be signed with autographs from their favourite players after the action
Carlos Alcaraz releases a huge roar after winning a crucial point during Sunday’s gruelling five-set thriller on Centre Court
Alcaraz gets back to his feat unsteadily after collapsing as he celebrates a first ever Wimbledon title to the joy of Centre Court
The World No 1 made his way straight up to his players box as tradition dictates at Wimbledon and celebrated with his team
The Spaniard – still just 20 – kisses the Wimbledon trophy after winning the second grand slam singles title of his career
The newly crowned 2023 men’s singles champion waves from the walkway outside Centre Court after Sunday’s seismic win
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