Carlos Alcaraz begins the defence of his Wimbledon title against unseeded Mark Lajal on Monday, keen to avoid a shock first-round exit on centre court.
The Spaniard has not matched his grass-court exploits from last year preceding the 2023 Championships, pointing to some uncertainty heading into the third Slam of 2024 against the debutant.
Match preview
© Reuters
Alcaraz's stunning five-sets win over seven-time champion Novak Djokovic at last year's Wimbledon final ended the 19-tournament run of the "Big Four" reigning supreme at the Championships, a streak beginning with Roger Federer (eight titles) before Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray shared two triumphs apiece.
The Spaniard became the first man outside those four to claim the oldest tennis tournament since Lleyton Hewitt's 2002 success, notching his second win at a major, and he has since been victorious at Roland Garros after this year's topsy-turvy win over Alexander Zverev.
However, Alcaraz does not have the momentum he carried into last year's tournament, having been eliminated in the Queen's Club Championships second round by in-form Briton Jack Draper.
That early exit was the opposite of 2023's success at the Cinch Championships where he dominated by dropping just one set — in his first-round win over Arthur Rinderknech — en route to his first title on grass.
For a player prone to intermittently losing his focus — a flaw still evident before his eventual exit to Draper at Queen's — it remains to be seen how the world No. 3 fares on his return to the tournament in what many are describing as an open Wimbledon this year.
![Mark Lajal reacts at a Challenger event in Bergamo on November 3, 2023 [IMAGO]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/26/mark-lajal.jpeg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Mark Lajal reacts at a Challenger event in Bergamo on November 3, 2023 [IMAGO]")
© Imago
His opponent is the unseeded Lajal, who seeks a major scalp in Monday's centre-court opener against the defending champion.
The world No. 262 made it to this year's competition via the qualifying route, securing victories over Francesco Passaro, Henrique Rocha and James Duckworth.
Facing Alcaraz is a different kettle of fish for the Estonian even if the unfancied player enters the main draw after dropping just one set in the lead-up to featuring at the Championships.
While not every player has the honour of making their Grand Slam debut on centre court, nothing could be more daunting than pitting one's wits against the defending champion.
Regardless of Monday's events, the Estonian will aim to take delight in his maiden appearance at arguably the sport's most prestigious major.
Head To Head
The first-round encounter at Wimbledon represents the pair's first meeting between these players at opposite ends of the ATP Tour.
While Alcaraz and Lajal are both 21, the former's superiority is undoubted in 2024 and across their careers.
However, the Estonian (1.91m) towers above the Spanish No. 1 (1.83m), but it remains to be seen if that counts for much on Monday.
Both men are right-handed and favour a two-handed backhand.
We say: Alcaraz to win in three sets
Despite Alcaraz's tendency to suffer slumps during matches, the defending champion is expected to blow the debutant to smithereens in straight sets on Monday. However, he must be wary of a player with nothing to lose on Centre Court.
