Carlos Alcaraz opened the defence of his Wimbledon title with a battling victory over Mark Lajal on centre court.
The Spaniard was made to work very hard for the win in London, with the Estonian qualifier having played with no fear.
But it was the French Open champion who emerged victorious, with Alcaraz securing a 7-6(7-3), 7-5, 6-2 victory.
Australian Aleksandar Vukic now awaits the world number three in the second round of the iconic competition.
Alcaraz didn’t exactly get his Wimbledon preparations off to the perfect start, having suffered a second round loss to Jack Draper at Queen’s.
Steve Carell loves what Carlos Alcaraz does when he loses a point
But the Spaniard began practising his movement on the surface the day after that loss, with John McEnroe now predicting him to go all the way at Wimbledon.
The tennis legend waxed lyrical about the young star, with Hollywood icon Steve Carell also now speaking very highly of the 21-year-old.
“The thing I like specifically about Alcaraz is that even when he loses a great point, he seems like he enjoyed it,” said Carell, as per one user on X.
“He seems like a kid as he plays. You can feel the childlike nature of the play with him. Like some crazy rally, win or lose, he appreciates it and smiles, and you can tell that he’s just enjoying every moment of it.
“He’s such a good sport I think, because he can’t believe the shots that other people pull off as well, and he appreciates some, which I love about him.”
Does Carlos Alcaraz have a tough route to the Wimbledon final?
Alcaraz is in superb form in 2024, with the three-time Grand Slam winner posting a record of 26 wins and just six losses.
He already boasts two titles, one of which just arrived on the clay of the French Open after a five-set thriller with Alexander Zverev.
A rematch between the duo won’t take place in the very near future, however, given that they have been kept apart in the Wimbledon draw.
But Alcaraz still faces a tricky route to the final, with world number 29 Frances Tiafoe potentially standing in his way in round three.
That clash could be followed by a meeting with 16th seed Ugo Humbert in the fourth round, with eighth seed Casper Ruud potentially awaiting Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
The likes of world number one Jannik Sinner, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev and tenth seed Grigor Dimitrov could then stand in his way of a final spot.
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