There was Carlos Alcaraz, sitting briefly on the grass after slipping and doing the splits while reaching for a forehand during his fourth-round match on Sunday at Wimbledon.
So what now? Should he give up on the point and prepare for the next one? Not a chance. Alcaraz quickly got back on his feet, dashed left to return a backhand near the doubles alley, then hurried forward to reach a short shot. His opponent eventually sent a volley long, allowing Alcaraz to win the second set on his way to a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory over No. 16 seed Ugo Humbert on Centre Court.
The current champion at Wimbledon marked the moment by raising his index finger in a “No. 1” gesture and shouting “Vamos!” as the crowd applauded.
The 21-year-old Spaniard has a knack for turning difficult situations into victories, finding ways to win points that many other players might concede. He has also achieved significant milestones, becoming the first teenager to reach No. 1 in the ATP rankings and recently winning the French Open, making him the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on hard, grass, and clay courts.
When asked about his incredible recovery against Humbert during his on-court interview, Alcaraz smiled broadly and described it as “unbelievable.” He emphasized his determination to fight for every point regardless of where he is on the court.
While such feats might seem extraordinary to others, they are becoming a pattern for Alcaraz. He recalled a similar recovery during his thrilling match against Jannik Sinner at the 2022 U.S. Open, a tournament that Alcaraz won.
“I believe I can reach every ball,” said Alcaraz confidently.
There’s a potential rematch against top-ranked Sinner looming in the semifinals. Each needs just one more win to reach that stage. In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, Alcaraz will take on No. 12 Tommy Paul, while Sinner will face 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
Sinner reached the Wimbledon semifinals last year but lost to Novak Djokovic, who was then defeated by Alcaraz in a five-set final.
Sinner won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January. On Sunday, he beat No. 14 Ben Shelton 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (9), breaking the big-serving left-hander four times. This was as many breaks as others had managed against the 21-year-old American in his previous 15 sets.
Like Alcaraz, Sinner can produce some remarkable shots on the court. In the third set, he executed an improvised between-the-legs shot followed by a passing winner from the baseline.
“I’m not usually one for trick shots, but in that moment, it was the only option. I had no space to move left or right,” Sinner explained, describing it as a fortunate shot.
Paul secured his first Wimbledon quarterfinal by dominating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-2 with a 41-14 advantage in winners. Medvedev advanced when Grigor Dimitrov retired due to a leg injury in the first set.
In the women’s fourth-round match, Madison Keys, the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up, suffered a leg injury. She attempted to continue after a medical timeout but had to retire at 5-all in the third set against Jasmine Paolini, a finalist at this year’s French Open.
“I feel really sorry for her. Ending the match like this is tough. What can I say?” Paolini expressed. “I’m a bit happy, but also sad for her. Winning in this way isn’t easy.”
Next up for Paolini is No. 19 Emma Navarro, who defeated reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3 in the last match of the day.
Gauff’s exit from the tournament comes right after No. 1 Iga Swiatek lost, leaving only two of the top 10 seeded women remaining in the competition: No. 4 Elena Rybakina, the 2022 champion, and No. 7 Paolini.
Also on Sunday, Lulu Sun will face Donna Vekic in another women’s quarterfinal match. Sun defeated 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, becoming the first woman to advance from qualifying to the Wimbledon quarterfinals since 2010. She is also the first woman from New Zealand to achieve this in the Open era, which began in 1968.
Vekic celebrated her first quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon in 10 attempts after defeating Paula Badosa 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in a match interrupted by three rain delays. “I feel like I’m living my dream,” said Vekic, a 28-year-old from Croatia.
