Throughout the opening set of the first major meeting between the two brightest young players in men’s tennis, Carlos Alcaraz’s growing frustration was palpable. He was struggling just a little with his backhand, he missed too many returns and Holger Rune, his opponent, chased down every one of his mediocre drop shots. Most of all, he was incredibly nervous. The world No 1 gestured regularly to his box and, at times, roared to the skies.
Yet even as he briefly failed to match up to his stratospheric standards, Alcaraz was still supreme. Every time he needed to call upon his best tennis on the decisive points, he found it with ease. The first Wimbledon men’s quarter‑final match in the open era between two players younger than 21 had rightfully commanded immense hype. But, as Alcaraz defeated Rune 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon semi‑finals for the first time in his career, his performance underlined that for the moment he has no true rivals of his age. “It’s amazing for me,” Alcaraz said. “It’s been a dream since I started playing tennis – making good results in Wimbledon, such a beautiful tournament.”
