Wimbledon 2024 Draw: Carlos Alcaraz's projected path to the final ft. potential SF clash with Jannik Sinner

Modified Jun 28, 2024 14:08 GMT

Carlos Alcaraz has received a moderately difficult draw at Wimbledon (Source: GETTY)

Carlos Alcaraz will be defending his 2023 Wimbledon crown next week. The Spaniard won his second Major title at SW19 in dramatic fashion last year, downing Novak Djokovic in a five-set championship-match battle.

Alcaraz also displayed impressive form and a resilient mentality at this year's French Open. That said, he has struggled with the transition from clay to grass, losing to Jack Draper in the second round of the Queen's Club Championships last week.

Below, we take a look at his potential opponents at Wimbledon this year:

Carlos Alcaraz's 1R opponent - Mark Lajal

Carlos Alcaraz arrives for practice at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz opens his campaign against Estonia's Mark Lajal. The 21-year-old qualified for his first-ever Majors appearance this week at Wimbledon. However, he has little to no experience on the pro tour, meaning he will most likely be swatted aside by the third seed.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential 2R opponent - Aleksandar Vukic / Sebastian Ofner

Alcaraz is next projected to face either Australia's Aleksandar Vukic or Austria's Sebastian Ofner. While Vukic is making his second appearance at Wimbledon, Ofner reached the third round in his Majors debut in 2017.

The 21-year-old has yet to meet either player on the ATP Tour. Although he will be wary of the challenge they pose, he is likely to get through to the third round of the grasscourt Major unscathed.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential 3R opponent - Frances Tiafoe

Carlos Alcaraz beat Frances Tiafoe en route to his first Grand Slam title

The defendhing champion could then run into 29th-seeded Frances Tiafoe in the third round at SW19. While their showdown seems tough on paper, Tiafoe is currently in a slump as he has lost 21 of his last 37 matches on the ATP Tour.

The two players are tied 1-1 in their head-to-head meetings. The Spaniard did, however, overcome the American in five sets in their only Grand Slam meeting at the 2022 US Open semifinals, giving him an edge in this match-up.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential 4R opponent - Ugo Humbert

The going gets relatively tougher for Carlos Alcaraz in the second week of Wimbledon, as he is projected to face 16th-seeded Ugo Humbert for a place in the quarterfinals. The Frenchman is a formidable force on grass; he reached the fourth round in 2019, and he also won the Halle Open against all odds two years later.

The three-time Major winner has never faced Humbert on the ATP Tour. The latter's game is tailor-made for faster surfaces. Moreover, he is also left-handed, making for a sharp-edged match-up against the aggressive Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential QF opponent - Casper Ruud / Tommy Paul

Tommy Paul won his first grasscourt title at Queen's Club

Alcaraz is next projected to face either eighth-seeded Casper Ruud or Queen's Club titlist Tommy Paul in the last eight. While Ruud's record on grass is relatively underwhelming, Paul has previously given a good account of himself on the surface.

The 21-year-old will certainly be challenged more by the American, with whom he is tied 2-2 in their head-to-head meetings. He will have to be at the top of his powers to down the 12th seed if he wants to defend his Wimbledon crown this year.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential SF opponent - Jannik Sinner / Daniil Medvedev

Jannik Sinner won his first title as World No. 1 at the Halle Open

The third seed could possibly renew his rivalry with either Jannik Sinner or Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of Wimbledon. Although both players have proven their grasscourt credentials by reaching the last four at SW19, the Spaniard holds an edge in both prospective match-ups as he leads them in their respective head-to-head records.

Sinner, in general, will be looking to exact revenge on Alcaraz, who came from two sets to one down to beat the Italian 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 en route to his third career Major title. For what it's worth, the newly-minted World No. 1 defeated his archrival in their lone encounter on grass at the All England Club two years ago.

Carlos Alcaraz's potential final opponent - Novak Djokovic / Alexander Zverev

Novak Djokovic is still the player to beat at Wimbledon

If Alcaraz makes it to his second career Wimbledon final, he is projected to face either seven-time titlist Novak Djokovic or fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev. The Serb and the German both enjoy a good match-up with the defending champion, as evidenced by their respective head-to-head records with him.

That said, they will certainly not be the overwhelming favourites in this prospective championship-match encounter. While Djokovic's fitness is doubtful due to his recent right knee surgery, Zverev has yet to go past the fourth round of the grasscourt Major. In that context, Alcaraz will have more than plausible chances of beating either for the elusive Channel Slam achievement.