Alcaraz eyes glory, looks to join elite club by winning French Open and Wimbledon in the same season

London: Carlos Alcaraz will begin his Wimbledon title defence at the All England Club on Monday, initiating play on Centre Court against Estonia's Mark Lajal, ranked 262nd in the world.

The Spaniard, who famously defeated Novak Djokovic in a thrilling five-set final in 2023, aims to join an elite group by winning both the French Open and Wimbledon consecutively in the same season, a feat achieved only by Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic.

"I want to put my name on that short list to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. I know it's going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I'm ready to do it," said Alcaraz, seeded third.

Facing him on Monday is Mark Lajal, a 21-year-old qualifier from Estonia who had never won a main draw match at a Grand Slam before last week. Lajal, known for his distinctive dreadlocked blond hair, reflected on his journey from playing in lesser-known events to now competing at Wimbledon, where just reaching the first round guarantees him $75,000.

Elsewhere, world number one Jannik Sinner, fresh from capturing his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year, prepares to face Yannick Hanfmann. Hanfmann, ranked 95th in the world, faces a tough challenge against Sinner, who has been in excellent form and recently won a grass-court title in Halle.

In another intriguing match-up, two 17-year-olds, Russia's Andreeva and Czech Republic's Fruhvirtova, will meet on Monday. Andreeva, seeded 24th, comes into Wimbledon after a strong showing at the French Open, where she reached the semifinals. Fruhvirtova, ranked 88th and making her main draw debut at Wimbledon, represents the new generation of talents in women's tennis.

This encounter between two young stars marks a rare occasion at Wimbledon, reminiscent of past matches between emerging talents on the grand stage of tennis.