Alcaraz vs. Norrie: 9:30 pm, Tuesday, Hanoi time.

According to Alcaraz, the slower pace benefits his playing style, even as the defending champion.

"This year feels completely different. The ball is slower, and I just played my best match," Alcaraz stated before his quarterfinal clash with Cameron Norrie. He recently defeated Andrey Rublev 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round of Wimbledon on 6/7.

Alcaraz celebrates his Wimbledon fourth-round victory on Centre Court at the All England Club, London, England on 6/7. Photo: Reuters

Alcaraz celebrates his Wimbledon fourth-round victory on Centre Court at the All England Club, London, England on 6/7. Photo: Reuters

Alcaraz believes competing at Roland Garros was more straightforward due to the numerous clay-court tournaments leading up to it, allowing for better adaptation. At Wimbledon, the 22-year-old only played one warm-up tournament, the Queen’s Club Championships, which he won.

"I'm trying to find the same good feeling I had in Paris a few weeks ago," Alcaraz added. "The test against Rublev was really valuable because he pushes you to the limit. I tried to fill my mind with positive thoughts. Tennis is truly a mental game."

At 22 years and 56 days old, Alcaraz is the youngest player to reach three consecutive Wimbledon quarterfinals since Rafael Nadal in 2008 (22 years and 20 days old). Alcaraz is also the youngest player in the Open Era to reach 12 Grand Slam quarterfinals, surpassing legends Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, and Nadal.

Alcaraz is on track to become the first player since Borg in 1980 to win both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in consecutive years. Only six players in tennis history have won these two distinct events in the same year.

"Switching from clay to grass is always tough," Alcaraz added. "There are many factors you have to adapt to, with the court surface being the biggest difference. I used to struggle with moving on grass, but now I really enjoy playing on it."

Several players at this year’s Wimbledon have complained about the slower court surface, impacting their serves and other skills. The tournament started on the hottest day in its history, with temperatures reaching 32°C, causing the grass to dry out and grip the ball more. Despite this, Alcaraz impressed with 22 aces against Rublev, exceeding his average of 9 aces per match.

If Alcaraz defeats Norrie in the quarterfinals, he will face either Taylor Fritz or Karen Khachanov in the semifinals. This is a relatively manageable path for the five-time major winner, as strong opponents predicted to meet him in later rounds, such as Holger Rune, Daniil Medvedev, and Alexander Zverev, were eliminated early.

In the women’s singles, top seed Aryna Sabalenka faces Laura Siegemund on Tuesday. On the same day, big hitters Amanda Anisimova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will clash in the second quarterfinal match. The remaining quarterfinal matches – Novak Djokovic versus Flavio Cobolli, Jannik Sinner versus Ben Shelton (men's singles), Mirra Andreeva versus Belinda Bencic, and Iga Swiatek versus Liudmila Samsonova (women's singles) – will take place tomorrow.

Vy Anh