“If I want to win one of these tournaments, I have to beat him,” Frances Tiafoe on losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2022 US Open and 2024 Wimbledon

Frances Tiafoe has come extremely close to beating Carlos Alcaraz in Grand Slams.

“If I want to win one of these tournaments, I have to beat him,” Frances Tiafoe on losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the 2022 US Open and 2024 Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe (via Imago)

It has been a ‘so close yet so far’ story for Frances Tiafoe against Carlos Alcaraz in Grand Slams. The American was on the brink of a major upset at Wimbledon on Friday, but eventually succumbed to Alcaraz in five sets 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2.

Despite the defeat, tennis fans around the world applauded Tiafoe for his amazing display throughout his match. However, the American was in no mood to take the commiserations as he feels that it was a missed opportunity. He talked about his frustration in the post-match press conference.

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I’ll think about this match for a while, I still think about when I lost to him at the US Open. I was a set away from winning twice, you never know what can happen next. I’ll think about that, but if I want to win one of these tournaments, I have to beat him. Even though I think this match hurts more than the US Open match, I feel like I was holding on for dear life in that one.
Frances Tiafoe said in his post-match interview

This is the second time that Tiafoe has tasted a close defeat at the hands of Alcaraz in Grand Slams. The first came at the 2022 US Open, where the Spaniard emerged victorious in five sets 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3.

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It was a fundamental win for Alcaraz, who eventually went on to win the title and end the season as the World No.1 player. He would hope to repeat the heroics of Flushing Meadows at SW19 this year. He celebrated this win after doing a Jude Bellingham celebration with wide open arms.

Carlos Alcaraz keeps his Wimbledon dream alive

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz narrowly escaped a major upset on Friday at Wimbledon. He came back from the brink to defeat Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling third-round match. The final score was 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2.

Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon (via X)

In the 2022 US Open, Alcaraz also won a five-set battle against Tiafoe on his way to the title. Their first meeting since then took place in West London, and once again, both players delivered an exciting match. Under the Centre Court roof, they engaged in lengthy rallies, but Alcaraz’s increased power and pace secured his victory after three hours and 51 minutes. This win improved his record to 12-1 in five-set matches at Grand Slam events.

The Spaniard has now won his last 10 matches at Wimbledon. Last year, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. However, on Friday, Tiafoe’s strong performance put Alcaraz’s title defense in jeopardy. The American, despite struggling this year, showed the form that took him to the 2022 US Open semi-finals and helped him win the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships and Stuttgart in 2023.

In the fifth set, Tiafoe couldn’t maintain his high level. Alcaraz celebrated his hard-fought win with a roar and raised arms. Advancing to the fourth round at Wimbledon for the third straight year, the third seed will next face either Ugo Humbert from France.

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