Spaniard and Russian renew rivalry knowing the defending champion should be waiting for them in the Wimbledon final
It has been two years since Carlos Alcaraz took his first timid steps on the lawns of the All England Club as a professional, in 2021. He was 18 then, and although he was not quite able to enter the tournament directly with his ranking, the promise he had demonstrated in his first trips to the Australian and French Opens had yielded a wildcard into the Wimbledon main draw.
In his first professional match on grass he barely survived a lucky loser, Yasutaka Uchiyama. Two days later Alcaraz faced Daniil Medvedev.