Alcaraz wants to repeat the extraordinary feat of last year
Carlos Alcaraz’s level had not been very high in the first rounds of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, forcing the Spaniard to struggle against Frances Tiafoe in the third round and against Ugo Humbert in the next round. The 2023 Wimbledon champion lost the first set to a great Tommy Paul in the last 16, but changed gears in the second set dominating the rest of the match and qualifying for the semi-finals for the second consecutive year.
The 21-year-old Spaniard wants to repeat the extraordinary feat of last year, when he shocked the whole world by beating seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in the final and winning the most prestigious Slam in the world. ‘Carlitos’ will not face his great rival Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, because the Italian was surprisingly eliminated by Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals.
The Russian expressed his best tennis career on grass and deserved the victory in the fifth set, also exploiting a virus that debilitated Sinner in the hours before the match. Alcaraz and Medvedev had already faced each other in the 2023 Wimbledon semi-final, when the Spaniard prevailed without losing a set. The Russian has often suffered the varied and unpredictable style of play of Alcaraz, who is able to put it out of position and make it closer to the net thanks to its beautiful dropshots. It will take the best Medvedev to reach his first career final at Church Road.
Juan Carlos Ferrero is confident
Carlos Alcaraz wants to win the fourth Slam of his young career, the second this year after the French Open. Interviewed by MARCA after the victory of Carlos against Tommy Paul, Juan Carlos Ferrero analyzed the chances of Alcaraz at Wimbledon: “We must try not to think about the title because there are still two matches left and the opponents are all strong.
The player should only think about the next match, it would be a mistake to get distracted or think you have already won. The most important thing is that Carlos’ level is rising progressively and his opponents know they have to play very well to beat him in a match at the best of the five sets. Wimbledon is the most prestigious Slam, the one that all players in the world want to win. Alcaraz must remain calm and strong, which is a key aspect to its type of play.”
The Spaniard’s season was marked by some physical problems, but Carlos recovered in the spring by winning the Indian Wells Masters 1000 and especially the French Open last month. During the press conference, Carlitos opened up on the semifinal showdown against Medvedev: “Daniil’s a really great player. It’s the same semi-final as last year so hopefully I’m going to get the same result. He just won against Sinner, the best player right now, so he’s in really good shape and I have to play my best. I have to believe in myself and try to keep going. It’s going to be difficult but I’m going to enjoy it.”
After his match against Sinner, Medvedev reflected on his chances of beating Alcaraz: ”It was important to just show I’m always gonna be there. I’m always gonna fight. I’m always gonna try to make your life difficult. Maybe you’re gonna win more. Maybe I’m gonna win more. I don’t know. But I’m gonna fight. The attitude was the same with Carlos last year at the US Open. It’s gonna be the same with Carlos in a couple of days. To be honest.. That’s always my goal. To know that whoever plays against me, they can win or they can lose, but they’re gonna know it’s gonna be a tough fight. It’s gonna be a great match. Great for fans, great for me, great for my opponent,” Medvedev explained.
Carlos Alcaraz is growing
Despite his young age, Alcaraz has already proven himself to be a predestine and to be able to make the history of this sport. At just 21, the Spaniard has already won three Grand Slams, five Masters 1000 and was the World number 1. If he can find more continuity and limit physical problems, he may become unstoppable and reach the status of Big 3.
In addition to Wimbledon, Carlos also wants to win the gold medal at the Paris Olympics. The current World No.3 will be the red clay favorite of the French Open, although he will have to be careful of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and his compatriot Rafa Nadal (with whom he will play doubles). Unlike Sinner and Nadal, Alcaraz will not play any tournament before arriving in Paris in three weeks.