Carlos Alcaraz, the 21-year-old Spanish tennis player, has advanced to the Wimbledon final for the second consecutive year. Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals with a score of 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 at Centre Court on Friday.
After a challenging first set, Alcaraz found his rhythm and displayed the skills that have made him a three-time Grand Slam champion. His victory was marked by 24 forehand winners and successful net play, winning 38 of 53 points when approaching the net.
“I started really, really nervous,” Carlos Alcaraz said in his post-match interview. “He was dominating the match, playing a great, great tennis. … It was difficult for me.”
The young Spaniard’s strategy against Medvedev focused on avoiding long rallies.
“I tried not to play long rallies. I tried to hit slices, drop shots. Tried to go to the net as much as I can,” Alcaraz explained.
This win puts Alcaraz in a position to potentially join Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg as the only men in the Open era to win multiple Wimbledon titles before turning 22.
Carlos Alcaraz will face either Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti in Sunday’s final. The outcome of their semifinal match was not available at the time of this report.
The Friday match began with Medvedev taking an early lead, going up 5-2 in the first set. However, tensions rose when a disputed call led to a warning for Medvedev for unsportsmanlike conduct. Despite this, Medvedev regrouped to win the first set in a tiebreaker.
Alcaraz’s comeback began in the second set, where he broke Medvedev’s serve and began to dominate with his powerful forehand. His ability to cover the court and return seemingly impossible shots also played a crucial role in turning the match in his favor.
The Wimbledon final is scheduled for Sunday, coinciding with the men’s European Championship soccer final between Spain and England. Alcaraz acknowledged this, saying,
“It’s going to be a really good day for the Spanish people, as well,” before clarifying, “I didn’t say Spain is going to win. I just said that it’s going to be a really fun, fun day.”
As Carlos Alcaraz prepares for his second consecutive Wimbledon final, he appears confident and ready for the challenge ahead, regardless of his opponent.