Carlos Alcaraz’s hunger to win titles never ends! Shortly after lifting his fifth major title at the 2025 French Open, Alcaraz got off to a winning start on grass as well. He defeated Jiri Lehecka in the final of the HSBC Championships in a three-set thriller. Following that, just before stepping onto the courts at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships to defend his title for one more time, he said, “I really want to win the title, I really want to lift the trophy.” Can Alcaraz add yet another feather to his cap by winning the title third time in a row at Wimbledon? Although he got off to a winning start by defeating Italy’s Fabio Fognini by 7-5, 6(5)-7, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in the first round, the 38-year-old nearly forced a major upset in this tournament, as the scoreline shows. So what did Carlos Alcaraz have to say about his dalliance with danger?

Fabio Fognini’s best record at Wimbledon has been reaching the third round. He has reached the third round seven times in his career, but has failed to go past that on each of those occasions. Fognini turned pro in 2004 and since then, he’s won nine singles titles with his best record at a Grand Slam being his quarterfinal appearance at the 2011 French Open. But a few weeks ago he announced that “it’s time” to bring an end to his tennis career. At the Roland Garros, he couldn’t qualify for the main draw, and then at Wimbledon, he had to face the defending champion in his very first match. A sad ending, but surely the Italian will leave the court with his head held high.

Because what a match it was! Reacting to the amazing performance from the Italian in this 4 hours and 37 minutes battle, Carlos Alcaraz said, “I don’t know why it’s his last Wimbledon. The level he showed, he can still play for 3 or 4 more years. Unbelievable. I just have to give him the credit for such a great match. Fabio is a great player. He’s shown his level and talent throughout his whole career. Once again, he showed it today. I’m a little sad it’s probably his last Wimbledon. Just happy to have lived and shared the court and locker room with him. We are gonna enjoy the last of him.”

Interestingly, Fabio Fognini turned professional when Carlos Alcaraz was still a toddler. The fans witnessed quite a few memorable moments showcasing their enormous love and respect for each other’s game in this match. For example, in a lighthearted exchange at the start of the decider, Fognini was seen playfully threatening to hit a ball at Alcaraz, to which Spaniard smiled broadly. After the match, Fognini was even spotted asking for Alcaraz’s T-shirt to give to his son: “Charlie, I want your shirt for Federico.”

Now coming back to that epic battle, playing the first match on Centre Court is never easy, as Alcaraz said after the match. But with this win, he has now secured an 18-0 record in the first round of the major tournament, and Carlos Alcaraz has also extended his winning streak to 15 matches at Wimbledon. He will next face British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in the next round. He now has a 43-5 record this season! Can he make full use of this incredible run and secure yet another major title this season?

Who can Carlos Alcaraz expect to face in the coming rounds?

With this win against Fabio Fognini, Carlos Alcaraz has already secured quite a few records besides his name. He is now the player with the most Grand Slam five-setters won in the Open Era (14) after his first 15, equaling tennis great Mats Wilander. Alcaraz has now also become the fastest player to achieve 30 ATP-level match wins on grass in the Open Era, surpassing Rod Laver and Tony Roche (34 each). Can he shatter more records in the upcoming days?

Well, talking about his probable opponents in the next rounds, if Alcaraz wins the second-round match against Tarvet, he may face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round before taking on Andrey Rublev in the fourth round. In the quarterfinal, his opponent could be Jiri Lehecka, and then in the semifinal comes a bigger challenge, as either Taylor Fritz or Alexander Zverev will be expected to square off against the defending champion. If Carlos Alcaraz overcomes all these hurdles, he is likely to face either Jannik Sinner or Novak Djokovic in the final.

Can he win the title this year as well? Well, Aussie star Nick Kyrgios said, “I would say Alcaraz would be the favorite to win Wimbledon.” American legend, Andy Roddick, also shared his thoughts on the same during a conversation at Tennis Channel. Roddick said, “Carlos was the favorite at Wimbledon before Queen’s, and he’s favorite after Queen’s as well. I don’t think anyone would argue against that.”

Alcaraz has also already made his intentions pretty clear, but you also think Alcaraz can defend this crown this year at Wimbledon?