Carlos Alcaraz launches his bid for a first Wimbledon title on Tuesday as home favourite Andy Murray starts his campaign a decade after his career-defining triumph. In the women’s draw, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, last year’s beaten finalist, opens her account on Court One against Poland’s Magdalena Frech. AFP Sport picks out three standout matches on the second day of the 2023 tournament in London (x denotes seeded player):
Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x1) v Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
Tennis’s new golden boy Carlos Alcaraz will go into his opening match at Wimbledon against Jeremy Chardy with a spring in his step after claiming his first title on grass last week. The Spanish 20-year-old’s triumph at Queen’s, where he beat Alex de Minaur in the final, was his fifth title of the season, and the first of his career on grass. The US Open champion is back on top of the world rankings but second-ranked Novak Djokovic, gunning for his eighth Wimbledon title, is still the man to beat. Frenchman Chardy, 36, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2014, is due to retire after the tournament.
Ryan Peniston (GBR) v Andy Murray (GBR)
Andy Murray knows he will delight the British crowd just by walking on Center Court but the 36-year-old is not at Wimbledon on a nostalgia tour. The three-time Grand Slam winner beat Novak Djokovic in the 2013 final to claim his first title at the All England Club, winning the title again three years later. And he has been warming up for his opening encounter by practising with his old nemesis. Despite winning two events on the second-tier Challenger Tour last month, Murray missed out on a seeding for Wimbledon and has not been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam since 2017. But the 40th-ranked Murray still believes he has what it takes as he prepares to face fellow British player Ryan Peniston. “I do believe I’m one of the best grass-court players in the world, and I’m physically feeling really good,” he said. “I prepared well, so there’s no reason why I can’t have a good tournament.”
Ons Jabeur (TUN x6) v Magdalena Frech (POL)
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur captured the hearts of fans during her run to the Wimbledon final last year, where she lost to Elena Rybakina. Jabeur lit up the women’s draw in 2022, captivating spectators with her signature drop shots and delicate touch. The 28-year-old also reached the final of the 2022 US Open, which she lost to Iga Swiatek. Jabeur, who became the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam women’s singles final, said she wanted to learn from her run at the All England Club last year. “I just want to use that experience, use the pressure that I felt last year, to maybe do better this year,” she said. “But again, my first goal here is to really enjoy playing on grass, maybe recreate greater memories like last year or the year before.”