Carlos Alcaraz advanced to his third consecutive Wimbledon final after the defending champion battled through a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) win against American fifth seed Taylor Fritz on Friday.
With Hollywood celebrity Leonardo DiCaprio present in the audience, Alcaraz triumphed in a gruelling contest that lasted two hours and 49 minutes under harsh temperatures on Centre Court.
As temperatures approached 32 degrees Celsius, the game faced interruptions due to several spectators experiencing health issues, yet Alcaraz maintained his composure to overcome the powerful Fritz with his exceptional returning skills and precise serving.
The 22-year-old will face either seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic or world number one Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday.
Alcaraz has won in their last two Wimbledon finals and holds an 8-4 advantage over Sinner in their 12 encounters.
After a rocky start to the tournament, the world number two appears to be back in form and seems determined to extend his reign at the All-England Club. The five-time Grand Slam titleholder is currently on a record 24-match winning streak, following a loss to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April.
This incredible streak includes a thrilling victory in the French Open final against Sinner, along with titles in Rome, Monte Carlo, and at Queen’s Club. He boasts a record of 35 wins out of 38 matches played on grass, a remarkable phase that features 20 straight wins at Wimbledon since his fourth-round exit to Sinner in 2022.
He is the second Spanish male player to reach the Wimbledon final three times, following five-time finalist Rafael Nadal.
Alcaraz stands just one victory away from becoming the fifth man in the Open era to secure three consecutive Wimbledon titles, joining the ranks of Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Djokovic.
He also has the opportunity to become the second-youngest player in the Open Era to win six men’s Grand Slam titles, a milestone achieved by Borg at Wimbledon in 1978 at the age of 22.
Fritz fell short in his attempt to reach a second Grand Slam final. The 27-year-old, who was the US Open runner-up last year, made a commendable effort, but Alcaraz had triumphed in both of their prior encounters and quickly took charge once more.
Despite the grass-court expert Fritz firing 95 aces on his way to his first Wimbledon semi-final, Alcaraz’s incredible returning ability neutralised that advantage, allowing him to secure a break in the very first game of the match.
Midway through the set, Alcaraz needed his eyesight checked, but this did not distract him as he held his serve to take the first set. After dropping merely four of 24 points on his serve in the opening set, the Spaniard found himself under pressure in the second.
Fritz capitalised on an uncharacteristic lapse from Alcaraz to win the set after the Spaniard made a poorly timed double fault and several punitive unforced errors.
The composed Alcaraz remained unfazed by the challenge, quickly regaining his momentum by outmanoeuvring Fritz with a clever drop-shot followed by a flawless lob to break in the third game of the third set.
With Alcaraz serving impeccably, he secured an additional break to take a two-set-to-one lead.
In a thrilling fourth-set tiebreaker, Fritz rallied from 4-1 down to take a 6-4 lead, but Alcaraz saved both set points.
Feeling the taste of victory, Alcaraz unleashed a final burst of powerful groundstrokes, earning him a spot in the final once more.