Fixture: (1) Carlos Alcaraz vs Jeremy Chardy.
Date: July 4, 2023.
Tournament: Wimbledon 2023.
Round: First round (Round of 128).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: £44,700,000.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN | Canada - TSN & RDS | UK - BBC & Eurosport | India - Star Sports.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Jeremy Chardy preview
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will open his quest for a maiden Wimbledon title against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.
Alcaraz has been one of the form players on tour despite making a belated start to the season at the Argentina Open in February. The World No. 1 has lost only four of his 44 matches this season and is one behind wins leader Daniil Medvedev.
Arguably the most talented young player on tour, Alcaraz has won a joint tour-leading five titles in 2023. The latest one came at Queen's last week, marking the Spaniard's first triumph on grass. His other titles on the season have come at the Argentina Open, Indian Wells, Barcelona and Madrid (all on clay).
The Spaniard has a 4-2 record at Wimbledon, with three of those wins coming during his run to the fourth round last year. The other came on his tournament debut in 2021.
Meanwhile, the 534th-ranked Chardy has won only one of his four matches in 2023. The veteran Frenchman is coming off a loss in the Queen's qualifiers last week (doesn't count in his win-loss record).
The 36-year-old's only win of the season came at the Australian Open earlier this year. Chardy has a 12-13 record at Wimbledon, where he made the second round in 2021.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Jeremy Chardy head-to-head
The two players haven't met before, so their head-to-head record stands at 0-0.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Jeremy Chardy odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Jeremy Chardy prediction
Both Alcaraz and Chardy are quintessentially baseliners, but the similarities in their game styles end there.
Alcaraz is widely regarded as one of the best young players on tour and is destined for tennis greatness. He has a formidable arsenal, with a big serve, powerful hitting off either flank, elite movement and mentality. Chardy, meanwhile, has more modest weapons.
Despite his young age, Alcaraz is clearly the better of the two players in terms of experience and consistency if not grasscourt pedigree. The Spaniard is 9-2 on the surface, while Chardy is 29-33.
Considering his rousing start to the season, especially on grass, the reigning US Open champion should take the win.
Pick: Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.