Throughout the opening set of the first major meeting between the two brightest young players in men’s tennis, Carlos Alcaraz’s growing frustration was palpable. He was struggling just a little with his backhand, he missed too many returns and Holger Rune, his opponent, chased down every one of his mediocre drop shots. Most of all, he was incredibly nervous. The world No 1 gestured regularly to his box and, at times, roared to the skies.
Yet even as he briefly failed to match up to his stratospheric standards, Alcaraz was still supreme. Every time he needed to call upon his best tennis on the decisive points, he found it with ease. The first Wimbledon men’s quarter‑final match in the open era between two players younger than 21 had rightfully commanded immense hype. But, as Alcaraz defeated Rune 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon semi‑finals for the first time in his career, his performance underlined that for the moment he has no true rivals of his age. “It’s amazing for me,” Alcaraz said. “It’s been a dream since I started playing tennis – making good results in Wimbledon, such a beautiful tournament.”
This meeting has been a long time coming. By now, Alcaraz and Rune have known each other for nearly half of their lives. Born just a week apart, the 20-year-olds first crossed paths aged 11 on the Tennis Europe junior tour as they began rising up the age groups.
Two years later, they teamed up in doubles at the prestigious Les Petits As tournament for players under 14. Back in those days, Alcaraz’s limited English meant their conversations were far from comprehensive. Still, the mutual respect was always present during their respective rises.
As they stepped out on to Centre Court, the early exchanges were a testament to the complete games that both players have built; the flicking drop shots, sweet net-play, fearsome returning and brilliant athleticism. Yet as the set wore on, Alcaraz’s irritation became clear. It was in part down to Rune, who played well throughout, effortlessly moving forward, annoying Alcaraz with his drop shots and winning the cat‑and‑mouse points normally patented by his opponent.
But Alcaraz’s game is several magnitudes bigger – his forehand was by far the greatest weapon on the court – and the Spaniard was excellent when it mattered. Each time Rune threatened, Alcaraz held him off. In the tie-break it was Rune who blinked, an ill-advised 115mph second serve led to a double fault at 3-3. By the end of the tie-break, Alcaraz found his magic. He dismounted with a glorious backhand return winner punctuated by an elongated roar.
“The first set, it was really tough for me,” Alcaraz said. “A lot of nerves. I couldn’t control it at all. Was able to win the first set – the key to turn around a little bit my emotions. It helped me a lot that I screamed after the first set to put out all the nerves and start to enjoy the moment, to enjoy the match. Smiling for me, as I said a few times, is the key of everything.”
With the set under his belt and a smile on his face, Alcaraz relaxed and played brilliant tennis until the end. As the drop shots began to land, his forehand flowed and he served extremely well to seal a comfortable victory.
Alcaraz said his nerves stemmed from facing a rival he has played throughout his life. “It’s not easy to play against someone I’ve played so many times. When we were younger, we grew up together, same age. For me is not really easy to play against.”
Rune, meanwhile, attributed his performance to waking up feeling under the weather. “I didn’t feel the best in today’s match, but I did my best not to disappoint the crowd. I tried to fight until the end,” he said.
Before last month Alcaraz had contested only two tournaments on grass in his career – two Wimbledon appearances. Rune, meanwhile, had never won a professional match on the surface. Both players began this grass-court season with the primary goal of gaining more experience. That they met in the quarter-finals is a reflection of their shared adaptability and talent.
At 20 years old, Rune remains ahead of most of the field with his varied game and fearlessness, and as he tries to close the gap to his contemporary, there will be many battles to come.
For now, though, the youngest men’s No 1 remains on a path that few players in the history of tennis have trod. His win-loss record is now 45-4 this year, he has consolidated his rise tremendously in his second season and is now one round away from his first Wimbledon final even as he continues to grow accustomed to the lawn beneath his feet. On Friday, the third best player in the world, Daniil Medvedev, awaits.
