Carlos Alcaraz survives Frances Tiafoe challenge, keeps Wimbledon defense going in five

Carlos Alcaraz faced the toughest challenge yet in his Wimbledon title defense, going toe-to-toe with an inspired Frances Tiafoe before ultimately vanquishing his rival, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2.

Seeded third at the All England Club Alcaraz endured a slow start but played tremendous tennis in the fourth-set tiebreaker to outlast the No. 29 seed in three hours and 50 minutes on Centre Court, improving to 12-1 in five-set matches (9-0 in his last nine).

Tiafoe had made waves on Day 1 with his frank analysis of what has been a subpar season, one that saw him win back-to-back matches just twice since January, causing him to tumble from his Top 10 career-high ranking down to No. 29.

“It’s brutal,” he said after recovering to defeat Arnaldi in five sets on Monday. “Highs and lows. Think about where I’m at: Literally this week last year I was 10 in the world and now I’m barely seeded here, losing to clowns, I mean…

“I hate to say it, but I’m just gonna be honest with you guys…I took the game for granted and got a little too comfortable.”

Where Tiafoe was clearly side-eying some of his 2024 opponents, he only had the utmost respect for Alcaraz, who was coming off a third Grand Slam victory last month at Roland Garros. The most recent meeting between the friendly rivals came at the 2022 US Open, where Alcaraz won in five sets en route to his maiden major win in Flushing Meadows.

Alcaraz eased through two straight-set victories to kick off the second Grand Slam title defense of his career, struggling through the first sets against both Mark Lajal and Aleksandar Vukic earlier in the week.

Tiafoe took advantage of Alcaraz’s slower start, winning five of six games from 2-4 down to win his first set against a Top 5 opponent in nearly two years (Alcaraz in New York).

Alcaraz seemed to settle after scoring an identical 4-2 lead in the second set, breaking a set time to level the match at one set apiece, but was on the back foot from the opening game of the third. Saving two break points to open the set, Alcaraz was unable to pressure Tiafoe on serve and fell behind a crucial break in the seventh game. Tiafoe gamely edged ahead two sets to one, forcing a backhand error from the 21-year-old Spaniard.

"It was huge for me to be in that environment again and play a match of such high quality," Tiafoe said in defeat. "Me coming after one of the best players in the world and putting my game on display at the highest level, a court I've never played on. So that definitely sparked a huge light under me. "I mean, I had so much fun playing out there. I felt so comfortable. I really thought the match was there for me to take. I just take a lot of confidence from that. It's something I needed."

The fourth set played out in tense fashion with Alcaraz digging out of a 0-30 deficit that could have seen Tiafoe serving for the upset and thundering a forehand winner to put himself a game from forcing a fifth set.

Tiafoe twice served to stay in the set, attacking the net and bringing the contest to its first Sudden Death. Once there, Alcaraz found some of his best form, outfoxing Tiafoe to nab two mini-breaks and hype the crowd as he roared through the first five points.

Though he finally got on the board before the change of ends, Tiafoe provoked worry when he took a hard fall on his strapped right knee but nonetheless recovered to play one of the best points of the match, landing a deft lob on the baseline. But Alcaraz was in full flight himself, sealing the set behind a pair of big serves.

"I thought I kind of had momentum," Tiafoe said. "I felt like I was getting through my service games better than he was. I had a couple of Love-30s. He played a really good breaker. I was a little tentative in the breaker. I wish I was swinging out on my shots a little more from the ground on the breaker. I thought I let him dictate a little too much."

Alcaraz took that form into the decider, breaking first as Tiafoe continued to flag, missing a forehand to hand the former world No. 1 chances for a double-break advantage. Alcaraz capitalized with a forehand winner of his own.

Serving down 1-5, the 26-year-old Tiafoe put down a strong hold to stay in the match, but Alcaraz would not be denied, blasting winners to earn three match points, only needing one to edge over the finish line in just under four hours.