Despite being one of the favorites to take the Wimbledon crown, it’s fair to say that Carlos Alcaraz hasn’t completely taken the tournament by storm so far.
The World No. 3 has survived several scares at SW19, including a five-set thriller against Frances Tiafoe, and he was blown away 6-1 in the third set against Ugo Humbert on Sunday before wrapping up the match in the fourth set.
That means the defending champion has already dropped three sets so far in the tournament in matches against Lajal, Vukic, Tiafoe and Humbert, which is just one less than the entirety of his championship-winning run last year.
Nevertheless, the 21-year-old has made it into his sixth consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal and has joined his coach Juan-Carlos Ferrera on nine Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances by a Spaniard.
Tim Henman praises Carlos Alcaraz
Despite those teething problems, the three-time Grand Slam winner has become a firm favorite with the Centre Court crowd, as well as with pundits, due to his power and athleticism.
Former British No. 1 Tim Henman is a big fan of Carlos Alcaraz, and he waxed lyrical about the Spaniard’s technique while on commentary duty for the BBC during Alcaraz’s grueling four-set victory over Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
Four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman noted: “Carlos Alcaraz’s movement is as good as I have ever seen. He’ll get even better with experience; he’s been around for such a short amount of time. Alcaraz’s forehand is just an absolute rocket.”
From a player who has played against Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, and Andy Roddick, and called matches for over a decade, that’s big praise indeed for the rising star from Spain.
Who does Carlos Alcaraz face next at Wimbledon 2024?
Alcaraz plays World No. 12 Tommy Paul in the Quarterfinals on Tuesday. The American is having a stellar grass court season, after taking home the Queen’s trophy in June.
The pair last played each other during a round of 16 clash at the Cincinnati Open in August, where Alcaraz prevailed in three sets. They have met a total of four times on the tour, with both players with two wins to their name, so it should be another close game for Alcaraz.
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