Two-time Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz took a giant step towards completing a hat-trick of men's singles titles at Wimbledon by advancing to his third consecutive final. The World No.2 beat Taylor Fritz of the United States of America 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) in a hard-fought semi-final contest on the centre court on Friday.
The hard-serving fifth seed put Alcaraz through a stern test, but the Spaniard prevailed.
In the final, Alcaraz will meet the winner of the second semi-final between World No.1 Jannik Sinner and seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz has beaten Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals and holds an 8-4 edge over Sinner in their 12 meetings. If he wins on Sunday, he will become the fifth man in the Open era to clinch three consecutive Wimbledon titles after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Djokovic.
He can also become the second-youngest player in the Open era to win six men's Grand Slam titles after Borg reached that mark at Wimbledon in 1978 aged 22.
"It was a really difficult match, as always when I play against Taylor. Even tougher with the conditions. It was really hot today," Alcaraz said.
"I dealt with the nerves. Playing here in a semi-final is not easy. I'm really proud with the way I stayed calm and thought clearly. I'm pleased about my level."
{{/usCountry}}"I dealt with the nerves. Playing here in a semi-final is not easy. I'm really proud with the way I stayed calm and thought clearly. I'm pleased about my level."
{{/usCountry}}Back to his best after an inconsistent start to the tournament, the world number two looks in the mood to extend his reign at the All England Club.
The five-time Grand Slam champion is on a career-best 24-match winning streak since losing to Holger Rune in the Barcelona final in April.
That blistering run has brought him an epic French Open final triumph against Sinner and titles in Rome, Monte Carlo and at Queen's Club.
He has won 35 of his 38 matches on grass, a golden spell including 20 successive victories at Wimbledon since losing to Sinner in the fourth round in 2022.
"I'm not thinking about the winning streak or the results at all," he said. "This is my dream, stepping on these beautiful courts and playing tennis in the most beautiful tournament in the world.
"I just want to enjoy this moment, that I've got to a third final in a row. I will have time to think about Sunday."