By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday July 11, 2023
Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune are set to contest the youngest quarterfinal in Wimbledon history on Wednesday, with the pair of 20-year-old young guns both into the last eight for the first time at the All England Club.
Two players younger than 21 have never gone head to head in a Wimbledon quarterfinal in the Open Era -- the fact that Rune and Alcaraz will is a testament to the incredible, precocious talent of both.
Remember, when they last locked horns in October of last year, they were both 19 and played the first quarterfinal (or semifinal or final) ever contested between two teenagers in Paris Masters history (Rune won 6-3, 6-6 RET. when Alcaraz pulled out with an abdominal strain while trailing 3-1 in the second-set breaker).
While the pair are relatively new to the casual fan and the general public, they have been around the game – and each other – for about a decade. Rune and Alcaraz, born a week apart from each other, have been on the juniors circuit together and even played doubles as a tandem at the prestigious Les Petits As in France when they were 13.
Even before that, according to Alcaraz (though Rune doesn't seem to remember) the pair played doubles when they were 11 in Spain.
A decade later they are both top tier talents, with Alcaraz already a Grand Slam champion and holding down the ATP’s No.1 ranking, while Rune is No.6 in the world and likely headed higher. Grand Slam finals featuring the pair do not seem far-fetched at all, but not yet: on Wednesday they meet for the first time at a Grand Slam with a spot in the Wimbledon semis on the line.
Rune: Carlitos has the Passion
What stands out to Rune most about Alcaraz is the same thing that many fans notice: infectious passion for the sport.
“He's always been a very, like, passionate player on the court, I would say, with a lot of energy,” Rune said. “A big forehand also in juniors. I think he's the same, just so much better now. I think back then he was Carlos, now he's Carlos. He's the same, just improved very, very a lot and very quickly.”
It may feel like Rune is flying up the rankings, but to the Dane himself, he is quick to point out that Alcaraz is flying even higher right now. It’s something that helps keep him grounded him and reminds him that he can be better.
“I stay in the moment and I'm really, really eager to improve,” he said. “To be honest, it doesn't feel like I'm going really fast. But also, you see Alcaraz, he's doing even better than me.”
Alcaraz: "We Shared a lot of Great Moments"
For Alcaraz the excitement of playing a Wimbledon quarterfinal against Alcaraz is hard to contain.
“We shared a lot of great moments,” he said. “We played together since we were 12 years old. We've not texted each other, but obviously we know really well each other. I'm really excited about it. I think he's the same.”
Alcaraz adds that he has big respect for Rune’s backhand. Asked the question If you could add one weapon from Holger's game to your game, what would you say? He replied, “The backhand. I'm going to say that. If I have to take some weapon from him, I'm going to say the backhand. I'm not saying that my backhand is bad, no. I think he has a great backhand.”
(reading this we'll keep a close eye on the backhand to backhand rallies tomorrow)
The Spaniard adds that he and the Dane share the same integral characteristic in their games: passion.
“I'm going to say the same,” he said. “He has a lot of passion. He loves the game. He's a really competitive guy, as well. I could describe him like this.”
Tennis fans can look forward to experiencing double the passion when the pair meet on Centre Court on Wednesday. 