The star's dream lives on – at the expense of his friend's wish.
Carlos Alcaraz won against his friend Frances Tiafoe, 3–2 in sets, and is clear for the fourth round in Wimbledon.
"When you're on the court, players are no longer friends."
Carlos Alcaraz stated this before the third round of the Grand Slam tournament Wimbledon, when he faced a match against his American friend Frances Tiafoe.
You have to focus on yourself and try to win. That's how tennis works, he said.
Frances is a fantastic player and person. He always smiles. He always seems to enjoy being on the court.
The Spaniard defeated Tiafoe in a five-setter in the 2022 US Open semifinal, which later ended with his first Grand Slam title.
Since then, the 21-year-old has won two more; Wimbledon last year and the French Championships earlier this year.
Now he is in the fourth round during his title defense in Wimbledon.
And that at the expense of his friend Tiafoe.
It was a big challenge to play against Frances. He's really a good player and tough to meet. He showed that again, says the Spanish world number three in the post-match interview after 3–2 in sets.
I had to adapt my game to find solutions and create problems for him, and I managed to do that.
Lulu Sun secured a spot in the fourth round – and became the first female player from New Zealand to reach that far in Wimbledon.
The 23-year-old advanced after winning in straight sets against Zhu Lin, 7–6, 7–6.