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Despite his recent setback (and issues with cramping) in the French Open, Carlos Alcaraz has bounced back with impressive form ahead of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. Join us as we explore the seeded opponents he must overcome to capture the second Grand Slam title of his young career.
As the No. 1 seeded player in this tournament, Alcaraz is guaranteed to not face a seeded opponent until the third round at the earliest. In that match, there’s a possibility he’ll face No 25. Nicolas Jarry. These two faced off in the Rio Open back in February 2023, and Alcaraz won in three sets.
Potential opponents for Alcaraz in the fourth round include No. 15 Alex De Minaur and No. 19 Alexander Zverev. The expectation is for Zverev to advance to this stage, as DraftKings Sportsbook gives the German the fifth-best odds (+3500) to be the Wimbledon winner.
The quarterfinals is where things get really interesting. If Alcaraz makes it this far, he could face seeded players like No. 6 Holger Rune, No. 10 Frances Tiafoe, No. 21 Grigor Dimitrov, or No. 31 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. It’s worth noting that Rune beat Alcaraz in their lone meeting. However, that took place back in November 2022, and Alcaraz has grown as a player since then.
The semifinals would see Alcaraz matched up against potential seeded opponents like No. 3 Daniil Medvedev, No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 12 Cameron Norrie, No. 16 Tommy Paul, No. 18 Francisco Cerundolo, or No. 22 Sebastian Korda. Medvedev is the favorite of that group to advance to the semifinals.
If Alcaraz makes it through that gauntlet, he could be poised for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown with Novak Djokovic — who has won four straight Wimbledon titles. Alcaraz lost to Djokovic in the French Open semifinals while dealing with cramping issues. That was their first meeting in a Grand Slam event. Undoubtedly, the 20-year-old would love another chance to take down one of the all-time greats.