-Ikenna Okafor
Carlos Alcaraz feels this year is too soon for him to challenge for the Wimbledon title.
The 19-year-old has established himself as the most exciting young talent in the men’s game over the past couple of seasons and has already won four ATP Tour titles this year, three on clay and one on grass.
He went into the French Open as the leading challenger to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic but was beaten by Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
A right elbow problem them saw him pull out of the cinch Championships at Queen’s Club, and it was heavily strapped as Alcaraz played his first match on grass at the exhibition Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club.
Alcaraz will be seeded fifth for Wimbledon but, along with third seed Casper Ruud and fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, falls into the category of players for whom grass is so far something of a foreign surface.
Alcaraz played Wimbledon for the first time last summer, losing comfortably in the second round to Daniil Medvedev.
Asked if he could be a contender on grass, Alcaraz said: “I hope so but I don’t think this year it’s going to be my surface. For sure in the future I can play pretty good on this surface if I play tournaments before Wimbledon and I think I will feel comfortable playing on this surface.”
Alcaraz has been enjoying his time in London, including meeting up with Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon.
Wimbledon: Alcaraz downplays title chances