Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz defeated close friend Frances Tiafoe in a roller-coaster five sets to reach the Wimbledon last 16, showcasing his skill and expertise in a thrilling Centre Court match that lasted nearly four hours. Alcaraz managed to secure the victory with 16 aces and 55 winners, overcoming the tough challenge posed by Tiafoe, who consistently pushed him to the limit. This win marks Alcaraz’s 10th time reaching the last 16 of a Grand Slam, as he aims to become only the sixth man to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back-to-back. Alcaraz will now face either Ugo Humbert of France or Brandon Nakashima of the United States in the next round.
On the women’s side, US Open winner Coco Gauff continued her impressive run at Wimbledon by defeating British qualifier Sonay Kartal in straight sets. Gauff’s dominant performance allowed her opponent only eight points in the second set, securing her a spot in the quarterfinals where she will face fellow American Emma Navarro. Despite the loss, Kartal, who had previously earned just over $18,500 from her 2024 efforts on court, will leave with a significant windfall of more than $182,000. Gauff expressed her gratitude towards the Wimbledon crowd for their support during the match, acknowledging the nerves that come with playing against a British player for the first time.
In other matches, Tommy Paul, the US men’s 12th seed, advanced to the fourth round with a straight-sets victory over Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. This win marked Paul’s eighth consecutive victory on grass following his triumph at the Queen’s Club. Meanwhile, Grigor Dimitrov and Madison Keys also secured wins to progress to the next round, setting up exciting matchups in the second week of Wimbledon. Lulu Sun made history by becoming the first woman from New Zealand since 1959 to reach the last 16, overcoming the odds with her victory over China’s Zhu Lin.
Despite her lowly ranking of 123 in the world, Sun has surprised many with her impressive performance at Wimbledon, including knocking out the Chinese eighth seed in the first round. Sun’s journey to success has captured the attention of many in her hometown of Te Anau in New Zealand, a small town known for its peaceful and picturesque surroundings. Sun’s next challenge will be against Britain’s former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, setting the stage for an exciting showdown between these two rising stars. As the tournament progresses, fans can expect more thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes as the top players vie for the prestigious Wimbledon titles.
