Carlos Alcaraz aspires to everything in this Wimbledon. The initial doubts with which he presented himself on grass, a surface on which he had barely accumulated a handful of matches as a professional, have been dispelled after three rounds at the All England Club.
The young Spanish tennis player, 19 years old, is also loved wherever he goes thanks to his naturalness and simplicity. Since this Friday he has also won the hearts of the British public with a gesture that honors him and that is difficult to see in a high-competition match.
In the third round against German Oscar Otte, a grass specialist whom he authoritatively beat (6-3, 6-1, 6-2), Alcaraz left an action to remember at the start of the second set. The line called out a ball that went in and, when the chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, corrected the decision, it had to be repeated. It was then that Alcaraz showed his greatness by deciding to give the point to Otte, who had made a titanic effort to pass the ball over the side of the net.
That generous decision, with a long game still to go, drew applause from all the spectators present on court 1, who vibrated throughout the match with the high level of the Murcian.
After a victory that makes him the youngest tennis player in the history of the tournament in the round of 16 (19 years old), a smiling Alcaraz considered that against Otte “probably” he played “the best game” on that surface. “It’s probably the best match I’ve ever played on grass. I’m enjoying every second on grass, on this incredible court,” said Alcaraz, still on court after advancing to the round of 16.
The Murcian recalled the difficulty of playing on that surface, because he was also unable to participate in the grass-court season, but all this is compensated because “Wimbledon gives you a special energy.” After considering that he is improving in each game, he was convinced that in the round of 16 against the Italian Jannik Sinner, seeded tenth, “another player” will be seen.
Regarding his next rival, he acknowledged that they are both friends off the track, and that he is looking forward to facing him. “Everyone knows Sinner’s level. He plays very well on grass, he’s very aggressive. It’s going to be a very fun match,” she explained.
In addition, aware of the youth of both (19 years the Spaniard, 20 the Italian) predicted “a great rivalry for many years”, between two of the greatest promises of the men’s circuit.
