Carlos Alcaraz loves enjoying on grass and is making an attempt to win a 3rd Wimbledon title in a row

He’s clearly a fast examine.

When Wimbledon will get began Monday, the 22-year-old from Spain will play within the first Centre Court match of this fortnight, an honor reserved for the earlier 12 months’s males’s champion. The contest towards Fabio Fognini will open Alcaraz’s a bid for a 3rd consecutive championship on the place.

That’s one thing solely 4 males have achieved within the Open period, which started in 1968: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Not unhealthy firm.

Alcaraz already is 5-0 in Grand Slam finals, which incorporates going 2-0 on the French Open — which he gained three weeks in the past by way of a comeback from two units down towards No. 1 Jannik Sinner within the closing — and 1-0 on the U.S. Open.

Last 12 months, the No. 2-ranked Alcaraz turned the youngest man to win a serious trophy on every floor: grass, clay and onerous courts.

But he is bought a keenness for the inexperienced stuff.

“The most stunning tennis that we are able to watch is on grass. The fashion that the individuals convey to the courtroom after they play on grass. … The sound of the ball,” mentioned Alcaraz, who will go into Monday on a career-best 18-match profitable streak, together with a title on the Queen’s Club match final weekend. “The motion is basically robust, however while you get it, it’s type of you’re flying.”

He loves that it permits him to point out off the variability in his sport and all the abilities he possesses.

Few gamers smile as a lot as Alcaraz does whereas within the thick of issues, it doesn’t matter what challenges could be offered by the foe throughout the online or the strain of the second. He is as artistic because it will get with a racket in hand, generally to his personal detriment, and admits having fun with seeing replays on area video screens after a few of his finest deliveries .

“I actually need to hit slices, drop pictures, going to the online on a regular basis, enjoying aggressively,” mentioned Alcaraz, who mentioned he misplaced to two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray throughout a spherical of golf early within the week. “I feel on grass it’s the fashion that it’s a must to play, so that is what I like probably the most.”

It’s instructive to listen to what Djokovic needed to say about Alcaraz after a straight-set loss in final 12 months’s closing on the All England Club.

“He simply was higher than me in each facet of the sport,” Djokovic mentioned. “In motion, in the best way he was simply hanging the ball superbly, serving nice. Everything.”

Those phrases carry weight. Djokovic has gained seven of his males’s-record 24 Grand Slam trophies at Wimbledon however was the runner-up to Alcaraz in 2023 and 2024.

When it involves the concept of becoming a member of an elite group by finishing a three-peat in two weeks’ time, Alcaraz insisted that is not the type of factor he actually cares about or spends time contemplating.

He desires the title, sure. But the place it might place him in historical past? Leave that to others.

“I actually need to raise the trophy,” Alcaraz mentioned. “But proper now, I’m not desirous about who I may be part of if I win three Wimbledons in a row.”

Howard Fendrich has been the ’s tennis author since 2002. Find his tales right here: /creator/howard-fendrich. More tennis: /hub/tennis

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