Carlos Alcaraz continued his preparation to defend his Wimbledon title earlier today, with a practice set against Joao Fonseca.
The Spaniard, who hit with Novak Djokovic on centre court earlier this week, has been ramping up his playtime over the last few days.
Clearly keen to get a wide range of opponents, facing off against Fonseca will help both the 22-year-old and the 18-year-old for very different reasons.
The former will gain key experience facing off against someone younger than himself, with athleticism and power in abundance.
Meanwhile, the junior of the duo would have been honoured to spend crucial time on court with Carlos Alcaraz.
And, it turns out, their practice set was fiercely competitive.
Carlos Alcaraz played Joao Fonseca in Wimbledon practice set
There is every chance that this combination could be one we start seeing on a regular basis, should Fonseca continue his rapidly upward trajectory.
After all, at the moment Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner boast a duopoly over men’s tennis that currently seems unbreakable.
The Brazilian clearly has enough talent to trouble the Spaniard though, as it was reported that the final score of their practice set was 7-5 to Alcaraz.
Clearly a tight affair, it really feels like Fonseca is just one strong run at an elite event away from being a mainstay in the latter stages of most competitions.
Joao Fonseca preparing for his first-ever Wimbledon
There is deservedly so much hype around Fonseca and what he might be able to accomplish at Wimbledon this year, but it’s worth remembering that this will be his first time in the main draw at the All-England Club.
Having fallen in the first round of qualifying last year, his meteoric rise since then is admirable.
And yet, he has been rewarded for his efforts with a first-round match against the in-form Jacob Fearnley, in what promises to be one of the best opening clashes of the tournament.
With a forehand that punishes the tennis ball, it’s frightening to imagine how he will get ahold of shots on this surface.
However, expectations must be managed despite the teenager being guaranteed to bring a huge Brazilian following with him.
At Roland Garros, seeing Fonseca’s forehand up close justified all the hype. It will be interesting to see whether he can cause a few upsets at Wimbledon to continue building excitement.
