Carlos Alcaraz Suffers Same Medical Issue That Affected French Open Finals at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz is making a statement at Wimbledon, now in his third semifinal at the All England Club. The Spaniard has been on a tear since the Italian Open, racking up back-to-back titles in Rome, Paris, and Queen’s Club. He’s closing in on another spectacular campaign! On Friday, he faces American No. 1 Taylor Fritz, hoping to extend his head-to-head dominance to 3-0. But something seems to be bothering the 22-year-old on Centre Court!

The match is underway, and the rallies are edge-of-your-seat stuff. Early on, Alcaraz broke Fritz’s serve and looked electric. Suddenly, play stopped during one of Taylor’s service games—Carlos had an issue with his eye. He dashed to the umpire, who peered into his eye as BBC commentators tried to figure out what was going on. The two-time defending champion pointed to his eye and ran to the umpire’s chair. Andrew Castle said, “What is in there? Is it time for a medical timeout? Just a little bit of eye wash, maybe, an ice towel on.”

The world No. 2 shook it off and returned to the baseline as the American readied himself at game point. The trainer came out at the next changeover, applying eye drops to help the Spaniard. This isn’t new for Carlos Alcaraz—he had a similar vision scare in the French Open final, calling the trainer before storming back to win in five sets. “This one doesn’t seem to have lasted that long, so that’s good,” the BBC crew noted. But what happened at the French Open final?

Carlos Alcaraz was locked in a fierce first-set battle with Jannik Sinner at the French Open on June 8 when, out of nowhere, an eye issue struck. He paused play and had a trainer check his eye, receiving some eye drops before heading back onto the clay. Later, Alcaraz revealed he had “clay in the eye,” admitting it threw him off for at least half an hour, and Sinner pounced to take the opening set. But by the third, Alcaraz had regrouped and stormed back—eventually claiming the title for a second time!

Coming back to now, the drama didn’t stop there. The American closed out his service game, and the physio was quick to assist as the players took their seats. Alcaraz got his eye treated and jumped right back into the action, earning a set point on Taylor Fritz’s serve—only for Taylor to snatch it away with a winner. Later, it was Fritz’s turn for a medical timeout after diving for a ball and grazing his elbow, needing a quick patch-up.

Right now, it’s one set all—Carlos took the first, Taylor the second. Can Carlos Alcaraz conjure another Paris-style miracle to reach his third Wimbledon final? Only time will tell. In the meantime, stay updated with our Live Blog for every twist and turn!

Taylor Fritz threatens Carlos Alcaraz’s title defense at Wimbledon

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz have arrived at Wimbledon riding a wave of grass-court success. Fritz recently lifted trophies at the Boss Open and Eastbourne Open, while Alcaraz claimed the HSBC Championships title. Their Wimbledon journeys haven’t been easy either—both have had to dig deep and stretch out their matches in the earlier rounds. So, this Centre Court clash could easily turn into another marathon!

When it comes to head-to-head battles, Fritz hasn’t had much luck against Alcaraz. They’ve met twice before, and the American is still searching for his first win. Their first showdown was at the Miami Open in 2023, where Alcaraz breezed through in straight sets. The most recent meeting came at the 2024 Laver Cup, with Alcaraz winning 6-2, 7-5 and helping Team Europe secure the trophy.

After his quarterfinal win—where Alcaraz dispatched home favorite Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-3—he spoke about the upcoming showdown. “He’s playing great. He’s been really successful: Two titles, semi-finals here at Wimbledon… I’m just going to be ready for that battle. It’s always tough to play against him. I will just focus, but right now I want to enjoy and live this moment because it’s really not easy to play the semi-finals here.”

Will Taylor Fritz finally turn up the heat, or will Carlos Alcaraz make it a Wimbledon hat trick? Drop your predictions in the comments below!