Carlos Alcaraz "repeated the dream" after securing back-to-back Wimbledon titles by overcoming Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz was in dominant form from the off on Sunday and, despite a late wobble, clinched his fourth major title in straight sets.

The Spaniard did have to settle his nerves in the final set, having squandered three championship points on his own serve.

But having found his rhythm again in the tiebreak, Alcaraz played two exceptional drop shots to set the stage for a loose return from Djokovic to round off a 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win.

"It's a dream for me, winning this trophy," Alcaraz said.

"I did an interview when I was 11 or 12, saying my dream is to win Wimbledon. I've repeated my dream. I want to keep going, but it's a great feeling to play on this beautiful court, win this beautiful trophy. It's the most beautiful tournament, court and trophy.

"Djokovic is an unbelievable fighter, I knew he would have his chances again. I tried to win it on my serve. I couldn't, but I tried to stay calm, stay positive and play my best tennis in the tiebreak. I found the solutions."

The 21-year-old has become the youngest player in the Open Era to triumph at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

"Just fighting, believing, it's a huge tournament for me and a huge achievement for me to be part of those players who have won Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the same year," said Alcaraz.

"[They are] huge champions. I don't consider myself as much of a champion yet as them, but I'll keep on going, keep on building my path."

Djokovic made a miraculous recovery from knee surgery to feature at SW19, where he reached the final for the 10th time in his career, a tally bettered only by Roger Federer (12).

"Some words for Novak and his team," Alcaraz added as he addressed the seven-time Wimbledon champion.

"It's been a really difficult few weeks for you, unbelievable work to play this tournament after the surgery. I have huge respect for you and your team."

Carlos Alcaraz turned on the style as he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to retain his Wimbledon title.

In a repeat of last year's final, Alcaraz prevailed 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-4) on Sunday to become the youngest player in the Open Era to triumph at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season.

Alcaraz started as he meant to go on, breaking Djokovic in the very first game to immediately put the seven-time champion on the back foot.

Another break followed in game five, as the Spaniard truly took control, wrapping up the opening set in just 41 minutes and offering up only one break point, which he clawed back anyway, en route.

It was a similar story in set two - Alcaraz crisply putting himself a break up and playing some immaculate shots as he made even lighter work of making it 2-0.

Djokovic fended off four break points to go 2-1 up in the third set and had a fantastic chance of pulling a break of his own back in game six, until Alcaraz hit back with some venomous serves to claim a crucial hold before then setting himself up for apparent glory.

Yet a remarkable wobble saw Alcaraz squander three championship points on serve, and Djokovic needed no second invitation to edge himself ahead, with a tiebreak required.

A bad miss on a forehand pass compounded Alcaraz's frustration, yet the 21-year-old recovered and, with two exquisite drop shots, teed up his fourth championship point.

And this time, there was to be no mistake, a loose return into the net from Djokovic marking a resounding success for tennis' bona fide superstar.

Changing of the guard

For the vast majority of this final, Alcaraz dazzled on Centre Court. Djokovic, in his 10th Wimbledon final, simply could not cope during the opening two sets.

Indeed, even in the third, Alcaraz had the match in his hands until that incredible slip-up. But he recovered, and even if he does not top the ATP rankings, there can be no doubting Alcaraz will always be the man to beat.

At 21 years and 70 days, Alcaraz is the third-youngest player in the Open Era to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon in back-to-back editions, after Boris Becker (18y 227d, 1985-86) and Bjorn Borg (21y 26d, 1976-77).

Only Rod Laver (19) has registered more wins from his first 20 matches at the All England Club than Alcaraz (18/20) during the Open Era, who is the youngest player to win all his first six seasonal matches against top-five ranked players since the ATP Rankings were published in 1973.

It is now four grand slam titles for Alcaraz, who will be hoping his victory set the tone for a great sporting day for Spain, with their national football team in action against England in the Euro 2024 final later in the day.

No joy for Novak

At 37, time is running out for Djokovic as he looks to match Roger Federer's haul of eight Wimbledon titles.

For a fleeting moment in that final set, Alcaraz's stumble looked like it might open the door for the Serbian great, but as it was, Djokovic will have to come back and have another shot at that Federer record next year.

Djokovic is also still one away from overtaking Margaret Court for the player with the outright most major titles in history, while he has also been made to wait for his 99th ATP Tour-level title (only Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) have more in men's singles during the Open Era).

He is the only player to reach 10 men's singles finals at three of the four majors, but the day belonged to Alcaraz, who is just the second player in the Open Era to win his first four singles finals at grand slams, after Federer.

Novak Djokovic knows "history is on the line" as he prepares to face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final for the second year running.

The Serb can move clear of Margaret Court and become the most decorated player in Grand Slam history with a 25th title, while matching Roger Federer's record of eight men's singles crowns at SW19.

Djokovic will appear in his 10th Wimbledon final on Sunday, aiming to avenge his defeat by Alcaraz in a five-set thriller on Centre Court 12 months ago.

The 37-year-old acknowledges there will be huge expectations on his shoulders when he steps out for a sixth consecutive championship match at the All England Club, but he will attempt to use it as "fuel" for success.

"Obviously, I'm aware that Roger holds eight Wimbledon [titles]. I hold seven," he said. "History is on the line. Also, the 25th potential Grand Slam.

"Of course, it serves as a great motivation, but at the same time, it's also a lot of pressure and expectation.

"Any Grand Slam that I play, there's always history now on the line. I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.

"Every time I step out on the court now, even though I'm 37 and competing with 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99% of the matches that I play.

"I always have to come out on the court and perform my best in order to still be at a level with Carlos, Jannik [Sinner], Sascha [Zverev], Daniil [Medvedev], or any of those guys."

Incredibly, Djokovic has endured a silverware-free season up to this point, while he withdrew from last month's French Open at the quarter-final stage to undergo knee surgery.

However, the 24-time major champion highlighted 2018 as a previous example of a successful campaign that had started slowly.

Indeed, he recovered from an elbow operation earlier in the year - along with fourth-round and quarter-final exits from the Australian Open and French Open respectively - to win Wimbledon and the US Open.

"This year hasn't been that successful for me," he added. "It's probably the weakest results in the first six months I've had in many years.

"That's okay. I had to adapt and accept that, and also really try to find a way out from the injury that I had and regroup.

"At Wimbledon, historically, there have been seasons where I maybe wasn't playing at a desired level, but then I would win a Wimbledon title and then things would change.

"Wimbledon just extracts the best of me and motivates me to always show up and perform the best I can."

Novak Djokovic knows "history is on the line" as he prepares to face Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final for the second year running.

The Serb can move clear of Margaret Court and become the most decorated player in Grand Slam history with a 25th title, while matching Roger Federer's record of eight men's singles crowns at SW19.

Djokovic will appear in his 10th Wimbledon final on Sunday, aiming to avenge his defeat by Alcaraz in a five-set thriller on Centre Court 12 months ago.

The 37-year-old acknowledges there will be huge expectations on his shoulders when he steps out for a sixth consecutive championship match at the All England Club, but he will attempt to use it as "fuel" for success.

"Obviously, I'm aware that Roger holds eight Wimbledon [titles]. I hold seven," he said. "History is on the line. Also, the 25th potential Grand Slam.

"Of course, it serves as a great motivation, but at the same time, it's also a lot of pressure and expectation.

"Any Grand Slam that I play, there's always history now on the line. I will try to use that as a fuel to play my best tennis.

"Every time I step out on the court now, even though I'm 37 and competing with 21-year-olds, I still expect myself to win most of the matches, and people expect me to win 99% of the matches that I play.

"I always have to come out on the court and perform my best in order to still be at a level with Carlos, Jannik [Sinner], Sascha [Zverev], Daniil [Medvedev], or any of those guys."

Incredibly, Djokovic has endured a silverware-free season up to this point, while he withdrew from last month's French Open at the quarter-final stage to undergo knee surgery.

However, the 24-time major champion highlighted 2018 as a previous example of a successful campaign that had started slowly.

Indeed, he recovered from an elbow operation earlier in the year - along with fourth-round and quarter-final exits from the Australian Open and French Open respectively - to win Wimbledon and the US Open.

"This year hasn't been that successful for me," he added. "It's probably the weakest results in the first six months I've had in many years.

"That's okay. I had to adapt and accept that, and also really try to find a way out from the injury that I had and regroup.

"At Wimbledon, historically, there have been seasons where I maybe wasn't playing at a desired level, but then I would win a Wimbledon title and then things would change.

"Wimbledon just extracts the best of me and motivates me to always show up and perform the best I can."

Novak Djokovic will play Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Wimbledon final following a straight-set triumph over Lorenzo Musetti on Centre Court. 

Djokovic set up a repeat of the tournament's showpiece a year ago, reaching his 10th SW19 final after emerging a 6-4 7-6 (2-7) 6-4 victor against the Italian. 

The encounter started with incredible intensity, with both players trading blows in an attempt to gain the early advantage. 

However, Djokovic would get the decisive break point in the sixth game, only for Musetti to break back soon after, but the Serbian was able to hold to take the first set. 

The seven-time Wimbledon champion was made to work for his two-set advantage, with his Italian opponent holding onto hopes of completing an unlikely win. 

Musetti produced arguably the shot of the afternoon, striking a stunning backhand to end a 15-shot rally which brought applauds from Djokovic.

But it proved to be in vain as Djokovic showcased his class in the tie break, edging closer to a 97th triumph in SW19. 

The Serbian's victory was confirmed after two hours and 48 minutes worth of action, but could have finished a lot sooner as he squanderd three match points in the final set.

Musetti had the chance to break back to keep the game alive but sent his forehand into the top of the net, with Djokovic making no mistake at the fourth time of asking. 

The world number two will be hopeful of rectifying his defeat to Alcaraz 12 months ago, with another exciting match in store following their five-set thriller that saw the Spaniard claim his maiden Wimbledon crown. 

Data Debrief: Djokovic's Wimbledon love story continues

Djokovic claimed his 97th career men's singles triumph at Wimbledon, surpassing Roland-Garros (96) for the outright most he has recorded at a single ATP-level event. 

He surpassed Chris Evert (96) to go out on his own in fourth place on the all-time list for the most SW19 singles victories among men and women. 

Only Serena Williams (98), Roger Federer (105) and Martina Navratilova (120) have won more.

The Serbian reached his sixth consecutive men's singles final at Wimbledon, matching Bjorn Borg (six, 1976-81). Only Roger Federer (seven, 2003-09) has made more finals in consecutive editions of the event in the Open Era. 

Carlos Alcaraz is confident that Sunday will be a good day for the people of Spain as he prepares to defend his Wimbledon crown. 

Alcaraz became just the second Spaniard after Rafael Nadal to reach multiple singles finals at Wimbledon following his 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 win on Centre Court. 

The 21-year-old's match against either Novak Djokovic will take place hours before Spain face England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin. 

"I feel like I am not new anymore. I know how I feel before the final I have been in this position before - I will try to do the things that I didn't do last year and be better," Alcaraz told Annabel Croft in his post-match interview. 

"I will also try the things that went well - it will be a good day for Spanish people as well!"

The world number three went on to jokingly reference the European Championship final, saying: "I didn't say Spain was going to win."

But Alcaraz's quest for a fourth grand slam title was anything but straightforward, coming from a set down to edge a classic against Medvedev.

In a game that saw nine break points converted (Alcaraz six, Medvedev three), Alcaraz acknowledged the difficulties he faced in SW19. 

"I tried to play long rallies and tried to play to the net as much as I can. I tried to not play his game," Alcaraz said. 

"There were a few points that were really long rallies, but I tried to put my own game [on the match]. It was difficult to break the wall!

"Different conditions, but happy with my performance today. He was dominating the match and playing great tennis with his serves. It was difficult for me and he tried to pull out all the shots."

Carlos Alcaraz will have the chance to defend his Wimbledon title after coming from behind to beat Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals on Friday.

The 21-year-old endured another shaky start, but in the end, was too good for the Russian as he won 6-7 (1-7) 6-3 6-4 6-4 in just under three hours on Centre Court.

Both players got multiple breaks in the first set as momentum ebbed and flowed, though Medvedev looked to be running away with it as he raced into a 5-2 lead.

Alcaraz rallied to force a tie-break, though the Russian took advantage of another slip in concentration as he dropped only one point.

The defending champion, who made a slow start to his quarter-final as well, soon hit his stride and, with the help of an early break, easily held out to win the second.

It was much the same story in the third set as Alcaraz caused more problems with his aggressive serve, not allowing Medvedev back in after edging in front.

The world number five showed some of his early fight in the final set, trading breaks with Alcaraz, but after unsuccessfully defending a break point, he could not maintain his momentum, leaving an opening for the Spaniard to get the win.

He will face either seven-time champion Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti for the title on Sunday.

Data Debrief: Back-to-back finals for Alcaraz

Despite not playing at his best for the majority of Wimbledon, Alcaraz once again showed what he was made of.

He is into his fourth final in 14 grand slam main draws, and should he win on Sunday, he could become the youngest player in the Open era to win the men's singles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year.

Since the ATP rankings were first published in 1973, Alcaraz has become the youngest player to achieve top-five wins on grass, clay and hard court in consecutive seasons (2023 and 2024).

Indeed, he is just the third player under 22 to win his first five matches of the season against top five opponents, after Bjorn Borg (1977-78) and Rafael Nadal (2006-07). 

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz made the Wimbledon semi-finals by beating Tommy Paul in four sets on Centre Court.

Paul produced a spirited display and the momentum was with him when he impressively took the opener, only for Alcaraz to fight back for a 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-2 victory on No.1 Court.

At 21 years and 65 days old, the victory made Alcaraz – who beat Novak Djokovic in an epic final last year – the youngest player to reach the last four of the Wimbledon men's draw in successive editions since fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2006 and 2007 (21 years, 33 days).

He was made to work for the win, though, with Paul taking a 73-minute opener that showcased some terrific rallies, hitting a wonderful passing shot on set point.

With the American starting the second set with a confident hold and an immediate break, Alcaraz was on the ropes.

However, he hit straight back and only dropped two more points on his own serve in the second, unforced errors creeping into Paul's game as Alcaraz levelled the contest.

The third set started with three straight breaks of serve, two of them going Alcaraz's way, and the momentum was with the three-time grand slam champion from there.

The world number three pummelled a forehand winner down the line on set point to go 2-1 up, and it was smooth sailing in the fourth as Paul finally wilted, only winning two points on Alcaraz's serve and giving up back-to-back breaks.

Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after the Russian outlasted top seed Jannik Sinner to win a four-hour classic earlier on Tuesday.

Alcaraz hailed Paul's performance after his victory, saying of his opponent: "He has been playing great tennis on the grass, beating great players, and today was a really difficult match for me. 

"It was like playing on clay, with big rallies – 10 or 15 shots every point. I had to stay strong mentally, and I'm really happy I could find the solutions."

Data Debrief: Alcaraz in fine company

Alcaraz's victory means he now has 16 wins from his first 18 matches at Wimbledon, putting him in good company.

During the Open Era, only Rod Laver and Boris Becker (both 17) have recorded more victories through their first 18 outings at the grass-court slam.

Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court. 

The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.

But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit. 

"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said. 

"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."

Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.

The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart. 

With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side. 

"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.

"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.

"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."

Carlos Alcaraz is hopeful his win over France's Ugo Humbert can inspire Spain's football team ahead of facing Les Bleus in their Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday. 

Alcaraz edged closer to defending his Wimbledon crown with a 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 win over Humbert in a hard-fought triumph on Centre Court. 

The world number three's quarter-final match takes place on the same day as France's encounter with Spain in Munich, and may be unable to watch the action unfold.

But Alcaraz played his part in SW19, and his hoping La Roja, who have won all of their games at the tournament, will follow suit. 

"Hopefully they're going to get the same result as me today," Alcaraz said. 

"I won in the tennis part, so hopefully the Spanish team are going to win the football part."

Alcaraz was unable to watch the first half of Spain's clash with hosts Germany on Friday after edging Frances Tiafoe in a five-set thriller.

The three-time grand slam champion needed three hours and 51 minutes to dispatch the American, but was able to witness Mikel Merino's late winner in Stuttgart. 

With Tommy Paul up next in the quarter-finals, the Spaniard is hopeful of getting the job done quicker this time to be able to watch Luis de la Fuente's side. 

"The first thing is I am supporting Spain because it's Spain," he said. "I have a really good relationship with a few players of the team. In particular, with Alvaro Morata.

"He's a really good friend. So right now it's time to support them, as I know they supporting me when I'm playing matches or I'm playing tournaments. It's my turn.

"Hopefully on Tuesday we are not going to play at the same time. But let's see. Hopefully I will be able to see a little bit from the match."

Carlos Alcaraz continued his defence of the Wimbledon crown with a hard-fought win over Ugo Humbert in the last 16, picking out his "unbelievable" set point in the second set as the highlight. 

Alcaraz withstood a late push from Humbert to win 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5 and book his place in the last eight, where he will play Tommy Paul or Roberto Bautista Agut. 

He was made to work for his two-set advantage on Centre Court, saving four break points in the fifth game of the second then breaking Humbert's resistance.

He showed remarkable athleticism on set point, recovering from a fall to sprint back to mid-court and tee up Humbert for a missed volley.

Alcaraz later found a second wind in the fourth set, smashing 17 winners to Humbert's 10 to get over the line.

Asked how he would describe his efforts on that earlier set point, Alcaraz said: "Unbelievable, I guess! I just try to fight for every ball.

"It doesn't matter which part of the court I am at, I just try to run to whichever part of the court I am on, giving myself the chance to stay alive in the point.

"Set point was a really important point for me so I had to show the opponent that whatever shot he hits, I will be there.

"That's me, I will be there, fighting until the last ball and sometimes it is a good point like this one and sometimes I lose it, but the main thing is just to fight."

Data Debrief: Alcaraz continues grand slam love story

Alcaraz's triumph saw him reach a ninth men's singles quarter-final from 14 grand slam draws entered - the most of any player who began their career in the Open Era through their first 14 participations. 

The Spaniard also maintained his winning streak at grand slams, having now won 11 matches in a row following his French Open triumph last month.

But there will be room for improvement for Alcaraz, who uncharacteristically served six double faults throughout the contest, compared to Hubert's one. 

Carlos Alcaraz survived a major scare as the defending champion won a five-set thriller against Frances Tiafoe to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon.

Tiafoe came into Friday's third-round match on Centre Court with low expectations due to what has been a difficult 2024 so far, but he won the first and third sets, before coming within a tie-break of causing a huge upset.

Alcaraz ultimately prevailed 5-7 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 in just under four hours to book a fourth-round meeting with either Brandon Nakashima or Ugo Humbert.

There were few signs of the drama that would follow when Alcaraz broke to take a first-set lead, but Tiafoe – who shocked Rafael Nadal at the US Open in 2022 – fought back with two breaks of his own to claim the opener and threaten another grand slam scalp.

A superb backhand winner clinched a comfortable second set for Alcaraz, but 29th seed Tiafoe produced an extremely impressive response, rallying the crowd when he confidently moved 2-1 in front having barely been troubled on serve in the third.

There were no break opportunities for either player in a keenly contested fourth set, but, with the pressure firmly on, Alcaraz produced a brilliant tie-break to send the contest into a decider, then taking his turn to celebrate with the fans.

The Spaniard made a crucial early breakthrough in game three and Tiafoe soon began to realise his opportunity had gone when Alcaraz consolidated his lead with a second break. He sealed the victory with a beautiful drop shot, with his relief and joy clear to see after getting over the line.

Data Debrief: Ten in a row for Carlos

Alcaraz is becoming a consistent grass-court performer and has now made the last 16 or better at Wimbledon for three consecutive tournaments, a run which includes his triumph last year.

The victory also means he has won 10 straight Wimbledon matches, with this surely being one of the toughest in that sequence. 

Having also achieved that feat at the US Open, he is the third-youngest player to do so at both of those majors, with only Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander doing so at a younger age.

Despite a difficult afternoon on Centre Court, Alcaraz still racked up some impressive numbers, finishing with 16 aces and 55 winners.

Carlos Alcaraz breezed past Aleksandar Vukic in the second round after a nervy start to continue his Wimbledon title defence.

The Spaniard endured a tough opening but soon found his composure to win in straight sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-2.

Alcaraz had his serve broken twice late on in the first set but returned the favour in the final game to take Vukic to a tie-break, which he edged.

After that, it was smooth sailing for the world number three, as he only dropped a further four games, none of which he served, with his power leaving the Australian scrambling with no answer.

Into the third round for the third consecutive year, Alcaraz will face Frances Tiafoe next time out.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz races on

In 2020, Vukic defeated a then-17-year-old Alcaraz in Roland Garros qualifying, but he faced a much different test this time around on grass.

Alcaraz's victory on Wednesday stretches his winning run to nine matches at Wimbledon, showing his fine form as he aims to earn the title for the second year running.

The 21-year-old has also achieved his 75th career ATP match win against an opponent ranked outside the top 50, stretching his record to 13-1 in 2024.

Carlos Alcaraz has made a winning start to his Wimbledon title defence, defeating qualifier Mark Lajal in a competitive contest.

Opening the 2024 tournament on Centre Court, the Spaniard was broken early in each of the first two sets, but ultimately progressed 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 6-2.

Alcaraz was more dominant in the third set, not offering up a single break-point opportunity to Estonian qualifier Lajal, who can nonetheless reflect on a decent showing on the big stage.

French Open champion Alcaraz, looking to become the youngest player in the Open Era to win Roland-Garros and Wimbledon in the same year, will play Aleksandar Vukic or Sebastian Ofner in round two.

Elsewhere on Monday, eighth seed Casper Ruud and 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov both made comfortable starts to the tournament with straight-sets wins over Alex Bolt and Dusan Lajovic respectively.

Denis Shapovalov is also through, with the Canadian knocking out 19th seed Nicolas Jarry in a 6-1 7-5 6-4 triumph.

Frances Tiafoe almost joined Jarry as a seed to crash out on day one, but the American fought back from two sets down to defeat Matteo Arnaldi in five. That dramatic win saw him tee up a round-two clash with Borna Coric.

There was more American success when Brandon Nakashima earned a straight-sets victory over 18th seed Sebastian Baez. He won 6-2 6-3 6-4 and will face Australian Jordan Thompson next.

Data Debrief: Alcaraz up and running

Alcaraz did not have ideal preparation for Wimbledon after losing to Jack Draper in the last 16 at Queen's.

He will therefore be pleased to have got two hours and 23 minutes of competitive court time under his belt against Lajal without his progress ever really looking like it was in jeopardy.

Alcaraz fired 44 winners and lost just nine of the 56 points played on his first serve. He was also adept at the net, winning 26 of his 33 points to make it a smooth start.

He is now just the seventh player in the Open Era, and the first since compatriot Rafael Nadal, to win all of his first 14 first-round matches in grand slam tournaments.

Carlos Alcaraz will be the Centre Court star at Wimbledon when the Spaniard opens his title defence on Monday.

Alcaraz will be hoping to add to this year's French Open glory when he opens his All England Club campaign against world number 269 Mark Lajal.

The 21-year-old will play in the Centre Court opener as the grass-court major starts, with Alcaraz aiming to become the youngest player in the Open Era to win at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year.

World number one Jannik Sinner meets Yannick Hanfmann in his first-round clash on the same day.

Sinner won his maiden grand slam title at the Australian Open in January, and heads to SW19 having won a further three Tour-level titles this year.

Daniil Medvedev reached the semi-final last year for his personal-best performance at Wimbledon before losing to Alcaraz, and the fifth seed faces American Aleksandar Kovacevic in his opener.

As for the women's draw, Emma Raducanu will follow Alcaraz onto Centre Court as one of the home favourites at Wimbledon.

Raducanu reached the last four at the Nottingham Open before claiming her first top-10 victory against Jessica Pegula at Eastbourne, with Ekaterina Alexandrova awaiting in the first round for the Briton.

Aryna Sabalenka has won the opening round in her last 15 grand slam appearances and the third seed will be seeking to extend that impressive record when she clashes with world number 107 Emina Bektas.

Coco Gauff will be another to keep an eye on when she wraps up Monday's Centre Court action with an all-American showdown against Caroline Dolehide.

Reigning US Open champion Gauff will be the youngest player to feature in the women's singles at Wimbledon seeded in the top two since Maria Sharapova in 2007.