LONDON — Perhaps there should be no surprise that a 37-year-old with a suspect right knee would be trampled into the Wimbledon Centre Court dust by a 21-year-old force of nature.

But the fact that it was 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic looking completely powerless as he was pummelled into submission by Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz was.

For much of Mr. Alcaraz’s 6-2 6-2 7-6(4) victory — a scoreline that flattered Mr. Djokovic — the packed crowd in the old arena were left stunned at what they were witnessing. Mr. Djokovic’s record-extending 37^th Grand Slam final was his chance to emerge from his leanest season for almost two decades and silence those who say his powers are finally diminishing.

It was also his chance to avenge last year’s five-set loss to Mr. Alcaraz, become the first player in history to win 25 Grand Slam titles and match Roger Federer’s eight Wimbledon crowns.

But after losing a fiercely-contested opening service game spanning 14 compelling minutes, a sequence that hinted at a prolonged battle after featuring seven deuces, the Serb subsided to one of the most chastening defeats of his fabled career.

“It was an annihilation. Mr. Alcaraz was phenomenal,” opined former British number one and BBC pundit Tim Henman.

It was not that Mr. Djokovic, who had knee surgery for a torn meniscus after the French Open, lacked fight, even if the manic intensity he usually brings to court was lacking.

No matter how he tried to repel the Alcaraz onslaught, it was futile as the irrepressible Spaniard joined Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker and Mats Wilander in grabbing four Grand Slam titles aged 21 or under. He also became the sixth male player in the professional era to complete the French Open-Wimbledon double.

Mr. Djokovic, bidding to become the oldest man to win Wimbledon, was ran ragged from the baseline when he tried to go toe-to-toe, had his serve picked apart and was left scrambling in desperation to reach Mr. Alcaraz’s killer drop shots.

Rarely is Mr. Djokovic’s super-computer tennis brain stumped for solutions, but there was an air of panic in his 10^th Wimbledon final as time after time he advanced to the net only for Mr. Alcaraz to fizz winners past him with the ease of spitting an olive pip.

It was the first repeat men’s final at Wimbledon since Mr. Djokovic’s back-to-back victories over Roger Federer in 2014 and 2015. Last year Mr. Alcaraz was outclassed in the opening set, losing it 6-1, before coming back to win an epic in five sets and end Mr. Djokovic’s 34-match Wimbledon winning streak.

But Mr. Djokovic never looked like making a similar comeback on Sunday and was fortunate the margin of defeat was not heavier than his 2020 French Open final loss to Rafa Nadal when he managed to win only seven games.

He did get an unexpected lifeline though.

After dropping serve to trail 5-4 in the third set, Mr. Djokovic barely paused at the changeover and walked around to the baseline to await his fate with an air of resignation.

Mr. Alcaraz duly went ahead 40-0 to earn three championship points but in a rare moment of fragility he double-faulted and somehow allowed Mr. Djokovic to claw his way to a service break and into a tiebreak.

Perhaps the Spaniard’s mind had already started drifting ahead to where he would watch Spain’s soccer team take on England in the Euro 2024 final later on Sunday.

The crowd, many of whom switched from roaring on Mr. Alcaraz to trying to revive Mr. Djokovic with chants of “Nole Nole,” sensed that one of the most unlikely Wimbledon comebacks might still be on. But there was no escape from Mr. Alcaraz.

The Spaniard showed great mental fortitude to shrug off that disappointment and showcase his full repertoire in a stunning tiebreak to make it four titles from his first four Grand Slam finals — a feat last achieved by Mr. Federer. — Reuters

BERLIN — Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal scored four minutes from time as they capped a dominant Euro 2024 campaign with a deserved 2-1 win over England in Sunday’s showpiece for a record fourth title and condemned their opponents to a second straight final defeat.

Mr. Oyarzabal finished off a swift counter-attack for the winner after England had fought back from a goal down for the fourth successive match and seemingly earned extra-time.

After a cautious first half where Spain had 65% possession but England’s Phil Foden managed the only shot on target, the Spaniards struck two minutes after the restart, despite losing influential midfielder Rodri to injury at the break.

Teenager Lamine Yamal, who had been shackled completely in the first half, finally found space down the right and crossed for Nico Williams to slot home past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Spain then enjoyed a purple patch with a series of sharp attacks as England’s previously watertight defense lost its shape and Dani Olmo, Morata and Mr. Williams all had good chances.

For England the “30 years of hurt” after their 1966 World Cup success, which was the soundtrack to their hosting of Euro 96, will now run to at least double that number as they became the first team to lose successive Euro finals. — Reuters