Carlos Alcaraz proves elite mentality after overcoming Frances Tiafoe in five-set epic

This is what makes a champion. True at times he was hanging on so tightly you could see his fingernail marks on the window ledge, but, as he dismissed the American Frances Tiafoe in a five set epic, Carlos Alcaraz delivered a performance which insisted this is a player for the ages.

Everywhere you have looked this week, the incumbent is being unceremoniously evicted. For a while it appeared as if, after Number Ten, Centre Court was to see its presiding resident booted out before his time. Big Foe, as the American is known, was asking big questions of the champion, his bravura tennis creating all sorts of issues, putting him into a position to create the most unexpected of upsets.

But Alcaraz is made of more resistant stuff than some of those facing removal from office this week. And ultimately he prevailed with a performance that demonstrated he has the mentality, determination and sheer refusal to yield that marks the great out from the merely very good. In sport if not in politics, never surrender is the mark of the best.

“As I said many times, he’s really tough to face,” the champion, with characteristic good grace, said of his opponent afterwards. “You saw once again he deserves to fight for big things. He made it really difficult for me to find solutions, to put him in trouble.”

The Spaniard was clearly not among those surprised by the American’s performance here. Which probably put him in a minority of one. Because Tiafoe arrived into this match expected by most observers merely to provide cannon fodder for Alcaraz, a little warm up practice ahead of bigger challenges. After all, his route into the competition had hardly been illuminating. At Queen’s he had withdrawn after over-stretching his cruciate ligament.

In the first round here, wearing heavy strapping on his knee, he had been two sets down to the Italian qualifier Matteo Arnaldi before turning things round. But, then, when it comes to Alcaraz, he has history.

The pair met in the semi-final of the US Open in 2022 where they thrashed out a four hour five setter. This time, he said, he was after the champion, no matter how long it took. No wonder Dustin Hoffman took a place up in the royal box: the marathon men were back in action.

From the start Tiafoe looked the more comfortable player, not remotely intimidated by the difference in their ranking. His serve, while not as quick as his opponent’s, was invariably tricksy, clever, hard to return. Plus he oozed courage, prepared to try the unexpected with every shot. Safety and caution were anathema to him; he always chose the more dangerous option.

He played the opposite, you might say, of how he would have behaved had he been coached by Gareth Southgate. And with Alcaraz seemingly unable to match his spirit, when Tiafoe took the first set a surprise looked in store.

Indeed from the moment his fist-pumping celebrations and broad smile began to light up the court, the crowd started to back the American. “C’mon Francis,” echoed through the stands. This was not out of disrespect for the champion.

While not yet as lauded as Roger Federer, Alcaraz has a growing reputation as a player of integrity and decency, values shown here when he crossed to his opponent’s side of the court to check if he was all right after he spreadeagled on the turf following a slip (though, in truth, he did go on to win the next point by punching the ball into a place he knew Tiafoe would struggle to follow).

More this was to do with the underdog supporting instincts of the British sports-watching psyche coming to the fore. And, even after Alcaraz took the second set, through the third into the fourth set, the excited prospect hove into view of witnessing a real upset.

But then, as if finally recognising the jeopardy, Alcaraz upped his intensity. His early reticence disappeared. After facing down match point in the fourth, the pair went into a tie break.

“All I was thinking was OK, fight one more ball, one more ball, think about the next point,” Alcaraz explained. “And in the tie break I tell myself: go for it.”

From that moment, while Tiafoe had been trying all match to do the impossible, Alcaraz actually began to do it. As he moved his opponent round the court with venomous certainty, some of his play was extraordinary, some of his shots almost unbelievable.

Tiafoe didn’t do anything wrong, he carried on playing as he had all match. It was just Alcaraz did everything right. He took the tie break 7-2. Then broke the Tiafoe in the second game of the deciding set and that was it. While the American looked increasingly exhausted, Alcaraz appeared to be growing ever less tired.

He rounded things off with the kind of certainty that had been lacking for so much of the game. For all Tiafoe’s bravery, he simply had no response.

As the match finished, Alcaraz sought out the nearest television to go and watch Spain’s Euros tie with Germany. It is the contest, he suggested, many reckon would have made the ideal final. But then frankly, so would this match.