Carlos Alcaraz Opens Wimbledon Defense with Tough Win

Carlos Alcaraz began his Wimbledon title defense with a hard-earned victory over Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal, prevailing 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-2 on Centre Court. The 21-year-old Spaniard, aiming for consecutive major titles after winning the French Open, expressed awe at playing on this prestigious court, admitting to nerves even during practice sessions.

Reflecting on Lajal’s performance, Alcaraz acknowledged his opponent’s resilience in their first-ever encounter, praising Lajal’s potential for future success despite being equally young at 21 years old. Carlos Alcaraz now prepares to face Aleksandar Vukic in the second round, following the Australian’s thrilling five-set victory over Sebastian Ofner.

Top seed Jannik Sinner also navigated a challenging match against Yannick Hanfmann, securing a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory on Court One, partly under the roof. Sinner, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, faces compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the next round.

In other matches, Frances Tiafoe staged a remarkable comeback from two sets down to defeat Matteo Arnaldi, while Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov and Tommy Paul advanced comfortably. However, seeds Sebastian Baez and Nicolas Jarry suffered early exits, losing to Brandon Nakashima and Denis Shapovalov respectively.

Meanwhile, Gael Monfils eliminated compatriot Adrian Mannarino in an all-French battle on Court 18, setting up a clash with Stan Wawrinka in the next round.