By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday July 3, 2024
Defending champ Alcaraz will face a suddenly resurgent Frances Tiafoe in a highly anticipated third-round clash at Wimbledon.
Photo Source: Rob Newell/Wimbledon
It’s been a good week for knee sleeves at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic, the most famous of the knee sleeve wearers at these Championships, is through to the second round – miraculously the 37-year-old is a contender for his eighth title at SW19 less than a month after knee surgery to repair his right meniscus.
Add Frances Tiafoe, who two weeks ago suffered a Grade 1 sprain to his right MCL at Queen’s Club, a wicked turn in a disastrous season for the American, and was questionable for Wimbledon.
Tiafoe, who came back from two sets to love down against talented Italian Matteo Arnaldi in round one and spoke of his struggles in 2024 afterwards, telling reporters he has been losing to “clowns,” seems to be on the right path again.
There was no clowning around today as the 29th-ranked American defeated Borna Coric 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3 to set a third round clash with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
After his win 26-year-old Tiafoe said he would be coming for Alcaraz.
Ditto, says the Spaniard, who eased past Aussie Aleksandar Vukic, 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-2 on No.1 Court.
“I’m going for him,” Alcaraz said when told of what Tiafoe had been said during his on-court interview, a mischievous grin surfacing as the crowd cheered.
The pair last met in the 2022 US Open semifinals, the American pushing Alcaraz to five sets before falling. Two days later Alcaraz won his first of three major titles and snatched the No.1 ranking for the first time.
“We played a really good match at the US Open,” Alcaraz said. “I know that he is a really talented player, a really top one – I’m going to say even tougher here on grass, with his style, good volleys, good slices, so it’s going to be a really difficult match for me but I’m ready to take that challenge.”
Tiafoe improved to 12-6 lifetime at Wimbledon with his win on Day 3, and he’s starting to salvage a season that was really going south prior to this week. Without longtime coach Wayne Ferreira guiding him, Tiafoe struggled to find his footing in 2024 from the onset. Six months in, he’s outside the Top-25 and toting a 15-14 record on the season.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, improves to 19-3 lifetime on grass and 28-6 on the season. The man who defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Wimbledon final has become one of the best grass-courters in the sport, and he’s only just 21.
He’ll be the heavy favorite when he faces Tiafoe on grass for the first time. The pair have split their two previous meetings, with Tiafoe snatching a win against Alcaraz in 2021 on clay in Barcelona.
"Once we step on the court, there are no friends," Alcaraz said. "Frances is a great player, great person as well. He always smiles. He always seems like he's enjoying his time on the court off the court as well. It's pretty impressive...
"It's gonna be a really fun match to play, to watch. I'll try to put my really good weapons on court and try to beat him."
It should be a good battle, as Tiafoe is finally finding his rage, and always love a big stage. There will be no clown in this circus…