Defending Champion Alcaraz Advances to Wimbledon Quarterfinals Amid Stiff Competition

WIMBLEDON — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a formidable challenge from France’s Ugo Humbert to secure his place in the men’s singles quarterfinals at the Wimbledon Championships on Sunday.

According to Philippines News Agency, despite taking the first two sets 6-3, 6-4, he faced considerable difficulty in the third set where Humbert managed to break his serve three times, taking the set 6-1. However, the 21-year-old Spanish tennis star and three-time Grand Slam champion regained his composure and clinched the fourth set 7-5 by executing crucial points effectively. “It was tough finding solutions when he was reading my serve well, but I managed to raise my intensity and secure the win,” Alcaraz recounted his mid-match struggles and eventual triumph.

In other matches, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner showcased his dominance by defeating American Ben Shelton with a straight-set victory of 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(9), wrapping up the match in just over two hours. Meanwhile, Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev also advanced to the next round after Bulgarian veteran Grigor Dimitrov retired mid-match due to an injury while trailing 5-3 in the first set.

The women’s competition also saw significant developments. Twelfth seed Madison Keys from the US retired due to injury during her match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, who will next face American 19th seed Emma Navarro. Navarro moved forward after defeating fellow American and U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-3. Additionally, New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun continued her surprising run by defeating former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, after having previously knocked out China’s eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in her first Grand Slam main draw match.

Reflecting on her unexpected success, Sun commented, “Playing all these players up until now, it’s just a new opportunity each time. I’m super grateful to be able to play another match.”