Carlos Alcaraz vs. Taylor Fritz: Wimbledon men's semifinal preview

These two say they can’t wait to go to battle.

Carlos Alcaraz is happy to face Taylor Fritz because it will be a new challenge—they’ve only played twice, and one of those matches was in the shorter-format Laver Cup.

“I’m excited about that match because I think I have to raise my level if I want to beat him,” Alcaraz says.

As for Fritz, he’s pleased, first of all, that he’s running into Alcaraz at this Slam rather than the last one.

“I’m happy that we’re not playing at the French Open on clay with the French Open balls ’cause that would be an absolute nightmare,” Fritz said with a laugh. “I think grass is very much so an equalizer.”

For all of the upset carnage we saw in week one, this semifinal pits the No. 2 and 4 seeds, just as it the ATP rankings said it should. Each guy made a couple of early-round escapes. Alcaraz went five sets with Fabio Fognini, and four tight sets against Andrey Rublev. Fritz was two points from defeat against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opener, and also had to go five sets with Gabriel Diallo.

Both were properly tested, and both seem better for it now.

Fritz served Karen Khachanov off the court, and generally looked unplayable, for much of their quarterfinal.

“Trust in how I’m playing,” Fritz says of his level right now. “I truly know the way that I played the first two sets today, there’s not much any opponent on the other side can do.”

“I think the best match so far in the tournament,” he said. “Just really happy to see myself just keep going, keep improving after every match, each day.”

He cited his serve in particular.

Alcaraz felt just as good about his straight-set demolition of Cam Norrie.

“I started to feel really comfortable serving in the Rublev match,” he said. “I think feeling great in the serve, it gave me a lot of calm then to play great tennis from the baseline.”

Alcaraz is 2-0 against Fritz. The only full-fledged ATP match they’ve played was in Miami in 2023, which Alcaraz won 6-4, 6-2.

The Spaniard will be the favorite this time as well. He’s the two-time defending champion, and Fritz is playing his first Wimbledon semifinal. Still, there are a few potentially complicating variables.

The serve, obviously, will be crucial for both. Probably more so for Fritz, because Alcaraz is the better player once the points get started. That said, Fritz doesn’t have a glaring weakness from the ground where Alcaraz can go. I’d expect to see the No. 2 seed try to get the American on the move with his drop shots.

Alcaraz’s level is another question mark. As great as he is, and as unbeatable as he can look, he has off days—or at least off sets. That’s one reason he has been so successful in best-of-five; the format gives him time to come out of a funk. But a roller-coaster performance from Alcaraz against Fritz would likely be much more dangerous than the one he went on against Fognini in the first round.

“I think it would be dumb of me to say that grass isn’t my best surface,” Fritz says.

Fritz is right to be happy that this match is on grass, rather than clay. But Alcaraz’s two Wimbledon titles are a pretty good indication that he can play on the stuff, too. Winner: Alcaraz