Wimbledon 2024: Carlos Alcaraz Survives Five-Set Test as Coco Gauff Impresses in Early Rounds

Jun, 8 2025

Carlos Alcaraz Battles Past Ugo Humbert in Five-Set Showdown

The drama on Centre Court at Wimbledon 2024 reached new heights as Carlos Alcaraz, the current men’s champion, leaned heavily on his firepower and mental resolve to outlast Ugo Humbert. Anyone expecting a routine day at the office for the Spaniard was quickly set straight. Alcaraz opened strong, controlling the first two sets with aggressive play, but Humbert, the French left-hander, found his rhythm in the third, catching everyone off-guard by steamrolling through 6-1. A hush fell over the stands—was the defending champ actually in trouble?

But Alcaraz thrives when the pressure spikes. He hammered 16 aces and racked up 55 winners across the match, sending clear signals that he still means business. Even as Humbert pressed, it was the Spaniard’s ability to mix fearless attacking shots with last-ditch gets that turned the tide. The fourth set teetered on a knife-edge, but Alcaraz managed to fend off the late charge, closing out 7-5 and breathing a sigh of relief as he moved on. Afterward, he admitted that staying mentally sharp in those moments is the real battle, especially when the crowd senses a potential upset.

Coco Gauff Breezes Ahead, Showing Confidence on Grass

On the women’s side, Coco Gauff hardly looked rattled as she moved into the third round with a confident straight-sets win over Romania’s Anca Todoni. Gauff’s baseline game looked sharp throughout, but what stood out was her serve—consistent, controlled, and increasingly effective on grass. The American, now widely seen as a threat on all surfaces, breezed through the second round, rarely letting Todoni settle into any rhythm.

Fans and pundits alike have been watching Gauff’s progress with rising excitement. Her composure on court shows just how much she’s grown, and her movement across the slick grass is lightyears ahead of where she first began at Wimbledon as a teenager. Despite the early promise, the story shifted after July 7: reports confirm Gauff’s run was halted in a later round, a reminder of just how brutal Grand Slam tennis can be, even for proven stars.

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner also made safe passage through his draw, adding to the sense that the next generation is filling the shoes of past legends with style. This year’s Wimbledon continues to offer up gripping matches and shifting storylines, as top contenders like Alcaraz keep their eyes on the trophy, unwilling to let outside pressure or a tough day on court slow them down.