Wimbledon 2024 live reaction: Barbora Krejcikova beats Jasmine Paolini in women’s final

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz are at opposite ends of their careers. There is one big way in which they are eerily similar.

They are both so much better than nearly everybody else that they often draw motivation from something more than winning another match or another title. They embark on quests that few other players can even consider. Sometimes they are small ones.

On the verge of two set points, with every option available to him, Alcaraz tried to hit an ill-advised drop smash in his semifinal win over Daniil Medvedev on Friday. It didn’t work, but attempting that shot, and so many other trick shots like it, is one of Alcaraz’s strategies for staying present.

Djokovic will pick out spectators — or even a whole stadium — who are pulling for his opponent, as he did in the dying moments of his win over Lorenzo Musetti on the same day, feeding off their perceived assault on his character.

On Sunday, Djokovic and Alcaraz will come onto Centre Court for their second consecutive Wimbledon final with two more duelling quests, both bigger than hitting trick shots or fighting against perceived injustices. They are also borderline absurd. Read more below.