Tommy Paul played an inspired match earlier today against Carlos Alcaraz, but simply did not have enough to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon.
Taking the first set 7-5, it was a hard-fought match and he had to be flawless to claim that. Unsurprisingly, he could not sustain that level, whilst his opponent only improved and would win 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-2.
As the defending champion, he boasts that remarkable pedigree and uncanny ability to just pull through regardless of how they are playing on the day.
And that he did, spurring on adulation from the fans and pundits alike.
John McEnroe, however, felt bad for Tommy Paul.
John McEnroe sends message to Tommy Paul
Speaking live on the BBC Sport just tonight, McEnroe was quick to send a message to his compatriot.
After all, Paul battled bravely, and was good value to win the first set against Alcaraz before it all unravelled.
He was sympathetic, but also admitted that on the day the Spaniard was just too good. So many have already fallen foul of the brilliance of this 21-year-old, and the American will likely not be the last.
McEnroe simply stated: ‘Tommy Paul, congrats. You battled, you were down two sets to one in a few rounds and got to a Wimbledon quarter. But ultimately just didn’t have the answers.’
It’s rather ironic how American tennis made history at Wimbledon in the quarter-finals with the sheer amount of players that made it through. Now, the bulk of them are out.
Tommy Paul’s fantastic 2024 continues
Although he will naturally be sad to bow out of Wimbledon at the quarter-final stage, it still marks a fine run.
In fact, it marks his best-ever standing at the competition.
However, it was no surprise really after he had won Queen’s just the week before, dramatically beating Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti on his way to the great title.
A third round at the French Open was a solid but unspectacular showing, but again people expected more after he made the semi-finals at the Rome Masters.
Intermittently, Paul has waltzed into the deeper rounds of some really prestigious competitions, with Indian Wells yet another semi-final triumph, and were it not for Taylor Fritz, he might have won the Delray Beach Open final too.
Fortunately, winning in Dallas eased that disappointment.
With the US Open just around the corner, as well as the Olympics, the 27-year-old seems to finally be turning into a threat for every player on the tour. It is only a matter of time before he makes that illustrious Grand Slam final…
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