Let different gamers downplay their championship probabilities at Wimbledon. Let different gamers profess — feign? — humility. Let different gamers specific warning in Week 1 that it’s nonetheless manner too early to be speaking about the potential for reaching the ultimate on the finish of the fortnight.
Carlos Alcaraz will not be enthusiastic about any of that. He is No. 1 within the ATP rankings and No. 1 within the seedings on the All England Club and embraces that standing. Every little bit of it.
So on Saturday, after reaching the fourth spherical on the All England Club with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 7-5 victory over No. 25 Nicolas Jarry at Centre Court, when he was requested whether or not it comes as one thing of a shock to him to already be one of many faces of the Grand Slam match, and already one in every of its favorites, on the ripe previous age of 20, Alcaraz shrugged.
“Well, I’m not surprised, honestly, ’cause I know my skills. I know what I’m capable of,” Alcaraz mentioned, carrying the white bucket hat that’s grow to be his signature news convention accent. ”(It’s) one thing that I work actually laborious (for): to be in that place, to be what I’m proper now.”
And when he was requested how tough it’s to keep away from interested by a possible matchup towards Novak Djokovic — proprietor of 4 consecutive trophies, and 7 total, at Wimbledon; proprietor of a males’s-record 23 main championships in complete — Alcaraz once more dismissed the premise.
“Well, not only tennis fans, sports fans, want (that) final,” Alcaraz mentioned, his ever-present smile melting right into a chuckle. “Myself, as well, honestly.”
He then briefly, however ever so briefly, trotted out the varieties of issues athletes are sometimes educated to assume they’re “supposed” to inform the media — about how he’s “really focused on the next round” … and the way the subsequent participant he’d meet produces “great tennis on grass” … and the way that’ll “be really tough” … and blah, blah, blah — earlier than course-correcting and returning to a extra frank glimpse into his mindset.
“But obviously,” mentioned Alcaraz, who will face 2021 runner-up Matteo Berrettini for a quarterfinal berth, “my dream is to play a final here. Even better (if it) is Novak.”
Soon sufficient, the reigning U.S. Open champion was again on a roll, discussing how he feels “really comfortable” within the grass-court occasion’s fundamental stadium … how he has “a lot of confidence right now” … how his type doesn’t “change too much,” it doesn’t matter what the floor is … how his flexibility and explosiveness are the 2 qualities of his recreation he’s proudest of.
None of it sounded unduly conceited. None of it appeared unfaithful, both. Especially when considering what different gamers say about Alcaraz.
“He’s showing who he is,” mentioned Berrettini, who missed Wimbledon a 12 months in the past as a result of he examined constructive for COVID-19 and beat Alexander Zverev in straight units Saturday. “The first time I played him two years ago, I felt this kid is special.”
No. 10 Frances Tiafoe, a 25-year-old American, was among the many gamers whose third-round contests had been affected by but extra rain Saturday: His match was early within the third set after he dropped the primary two towards three-time main semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov after they had been despatched residence for the night.
The winner of that one will go up towards No. 6 Holger Rune, the 20-year-old from Denmark who saved two match factors — and benefited from his foe’s questionable determination to attempt an underarm serve at 8-all within the ultimate tiebreaker — alongside the best way to edging No. 31 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10-8). Rune was twice a degree from shedding at 5-4 within the fifth set; then he trailed 8-5 within the first-to-10 concluding tiebreaker earlier than racing to the end, helped partly by making the most of that brief serve that he punished with a profitable return.
“Yeah,” Rune mentioned concerning the underarm providing, “I wouldn’t have done it.”
A giant matchup within the ladies’s fourth spherical can be 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur towards 2011 and 2014 champion Petra Kvitova. Also transferring on had been defending champion Elena Rybakina, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 13 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 21 Ekaterina Alexandrova and No. 25 Madison Keys.
All of the moist climate wreaked havoc on the schedule; Alcaraz was on courtroom for the second day in a row, for instance. That was nothing in comparison with No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, whose 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-4 win over Laslo Djere got here on the fifth consecutive day of competitors for the runner-up on the 2021 French Open and the 2023 Australian Open.
Tsitsipas subsequent faces unseeded American Chris Eubanks, who prolonged what’s by far the most effective stretch of his profession by tacking on one other 23 aces and 65 complete winners whereas beating Christopher O’Connell 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2).
Eubanks, by no means earlier than previous the second spherical at any Slam, complained about hating taking part in on grass as lately as a month in the past, however he is now gained eight matches in a row on the inexperienced stuff, together with a run to his first profession ATP title final week in Mallorca, Spain.
“I think it’s slowly, slowly growing on me,” he mentioned. “But at this point, I think borderline I might say it’s my favorite surface.”