"I'm coming for Frances Tiafoe" - Carlos Alcaraz fires warning at Wimbledon 3R opponent after American banters with him ahead of US Open rematch

Carlos Alcaraz broke no sweat in getting through his second-round clash at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, beating Aleksandar Vukic in straight sets. He will next face off against Frances Tiafoe in a rematch of their 2022 US Open semfinals, where the Spaniard prevailed in an epic five-setter.

At Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz knocked Tiafoe out with a 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 win to reach the final. He went on to beat Casper Ruud to win his maiden Grand Slam title. Two years later, the 21-year-old will face the American again as a three-time Grand Slam champion, while Tiafoe comes into the clash with a less than stellar run of form.

Ahead of Wimbledon, the 26-year-old had faced three losses in five matches, losing in the second round of the French Open and the Stuttgart Open followed by an opening-round exit at Queen's Club. At SW19, he had to come back from two sets to down to beat Matteo Arnaldi in his opener. The second round was far easier for the American, beating Borna Coric 7-6(5), 6-1, 6-3.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, is yet to lose a set at Wimbledon so far. In his opener, he downed Mark Lajal 7-6(5), 7-5, 6-2 to get his title defense underway, after which he beat Vukic 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday.

Tiafoe fired the first shots ahead of their third-round battle, stating in his interview with ESPN that he was going to "come after" the World No. 3. At his own on-court interview, Alcaraz was made aware of the fact, and the Spaniard responded along similar lines with a smile.

"I'm coming for him," Alcaraz said.

The head-to-head between the duo is now tied at 1-1, with Tiafoe winning their first encounter at the Barcelona Open in 2021.

"Carlos Alcaraz is a hell of a player" - Frances Tiafoe

Day Three: The Championships - Wimbledon 2024

Speaking at his press conference after the semifinal loss to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, Frances Tiafoe was all praise for Carlos Alcaraz, stating that he had never played anyone who moved as well as the Spaniard.

Calling him a 'hell of a player,' Tiafoe predicted that Alcaraz was going to be a problem on the tour for years to come -- a prediction that has turned out to be quite true as evidenced by recent results.

"I think it's going to be very tough to play him. He's one of the best players in the world, for sure. He's so young. He hits the ball so hard. I never played a guy who moves as well as him, honestly. I've seen him get a lot of balls, but I was hitting some drop volleys that I've been hitting. He's getting there. How he's able to extend points, incredible."

"He's a hell of a player. He's going to be a problem for a very long time. Again, I mean, I still had my looks. I still had my chances, so... It shows where I'm at. But, you know, for him to be so young, being so poised in big moments, I take my hat off and I got a lot of respect for him," Frances Tiafoe said.

The winner of the clash between Tiafoe and Alcaraz will take on either Brandon Nakashima or Ugo Humbert in the fourth round at Wimbledon.