By Martyn Herman
LONDON (Reuters) – For all the firepower and flair Spain’s three-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz brings to the tennis court, it is his mental strength that sets the 21-year-old apart from the crowd.
The third seed and defending Wimbledon champion looked in real trouble against a withering full-frontal assault by American Frances Tiafoe on Friday.
Trailing by two sets to one in their third-round match and with Tiafoe firing thunderbolts from all corners, Alcaraz was hanging on grimly to his Wimbledon crown.
Then he found some inspiration, upped the intensity and completed a 5-7 6-2 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2 victory to take his record in Grand Slam five-setters to 12-1.
“I realise that good players in the fifth set, push 100% physically and mentally,” he told reporters.
“Sometimes for the other player, is difficult to keep at this kind of intensity, this kind of level during the fifth set.
“In my head I’m thinking that I’m good at it, and they have to believe that I’m going to win, I’m going to play my best tennis.”
That certainly felt the case on Friday as the 26-year-old Tiafoe ran out of belief in the deciding set.
Alcaraz, who finished in time to watch Spain reach the Euro 2024 semi-finals with victory over Germany, sealed victory with a drop shot and raised his arms in the air in a celebration similar to that of England midfielder Jude Bellingham.
“I have huge respect for (Bellingham). We’re in London. He is England. So that’s why,” Alcaraz said.
For Tiafoe it was a matter of so near yet so far and another painful defeat against Alcaraz after his five-set loss in the 2022 U.S. Open semi-final.
A humdinger of a match was played in great spirit with Alcaraz twice going around the net to check on Tiafoe after the American slipped over on the grass. They also shared a warm embrace at the net when it was all over.
“Just ultimate respect. Him just saying, ‘It’s good to see you play like that’. Me just saying, ‘I can’t stand you!’,” Tiafoe told reporters. “I told him to go for another great run.”
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Alison Williams)
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