Carlos Alcaraz ended Oliver Tarvet’s remarkable run at Wimbledon, advancing to the third round with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over the British amateur on Wednesday.
Following an unprecedented number of seeded players being eliminated in the first round at the All England Club, Alcaraz avoided a major upset on Centre Court.
The world number two took on 38-year-old Italian Fabio Fognini in a gruelling first-round match that lasted over four hours on Monday, ultimately winning in five sets.
Once again, he seemed below his peak form, taking two hours and 17 minutes to overcome world number 733 Tarvet, who provided glimpses of his developing skills that excited the supportive crowd.
Alcaraz has remained unbeaten in his last 20 matches since losing to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April. This impressive streak has earned him titles at the Rome Masters, the French Open, and the Queen’s Club.
The 22-year-old Spaniard, who made a stunning comeback from two sets down to defeat Jannik Sinner in an epic final on clay at Roland Garros last month, has claimed 31 victories out of 34 matches on grass in the Tour.
His most recent loss at Wimbledon occurred against Sinner in the fourth round in 2022.
Having triumphed over Novak Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals, Alcaraz aims to join an exclusive group of Wimbledon legends. He seeks to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles, joining the ranks of the seven-time champion Djokovic, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, and Pete Sampras.
In sharp contrast to Alcaraz’s success and recognition, the lesser-known Tarvet is just initiating his tennis journey and cannot receive the full amount of his winnings at Wimbledon.
As a student at the University of San Diego, the 21-year-old must maintain his amateur status, which means he will forfeit a large portion of his prize money.
While Alcaraz has already captured five Grand Slam titles, Tarvet was participating in just his second match in a major main draw after progressing through three qualifying rounds and defeating Leandro Riedi in the opening match.
Having grown accustomed to playing before just a few hundred spectators in the US college circuit, Tarvet stunned the audience by garnering the support of 15,000 fans on Centre Court, despite the significant ranking disparity.
Alcaraz maintained control throughout the match but acknowledged the tenacity shown by the underdog.
After the final point, he enveloped Tarvet in a heartfelt hug and applauded him as he exited the court, while the crowd honoured the determined Briton with a standing ovation.
