Wimbledon saw a light-hearted moment following the men’s final on Sunday, July 14, when Annabel Croft experienced a slip of the tongue during the post-match interviews.

Carlos Alcaraz, 21, secured his victory in straight sets against Novak Djokovic, marking his dominance on Centre Court and becoming the second player in the Open Era to win his first four Grand Slam titles. After his triumphant win, Alcaraz celebrated modestly before heading back to the court to collect his trophy and participate in his post-match interview.

However, it was during Novak Djokovic’s interview that the humorous incident occurred. Croft, a former tennis player herself, inadvertently set the crowd laughing with her choice of words.

“Novak, I know this is not the result you wanted. But you were up against such a hot and talented player in Alcaraz,” Croft said, causing smiles and laughter among the audience. She quickly clarified, “He was on fire! Can you just share with us your thoughts on the final?”

Djokovic, known for his sense of humor, played along with the gag. “That’s what I was about to say, he was definitely very hot today,” he responded, eliciting further amusement from the crowd. Reflecting on the match, he added, “Not the result I wanted, of course, in the first couple of sets, the level of tennis wasn’t up to par with myself. Credit to Carlos for playing some complete tennis.”

The match concluded with Alcaraz controlling the game against the seven-time Wimbledon winner, securing the first two sets 6-2, 6-2, and ultimately taking the third set in a tie-break 7-4. This victory not only added another Grand Slam to Alcaraz’s record but also signified a potential changing of the guard in men’s tennis.

Despite some tense moments during the match, the post-game atmosphere was filled with mutual respect and light-heartedness, as both players embraced at the net and shared a smile with the crowd, closing another memorable year at Wimbledon.