Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beats Taylor Fritz to return to the Wimbledon final

Friday, Jul 11, 2025 9:46 AM

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after beating Taylor Fritz of the U.S. in a men's singles semifinal at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

LONDON (AP) — Carlos Alcaraz moved within one victory of a third consecutive Wimbledon championship and sixth Grand Slam title overall at age 22 by defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Friday.

The No. 2-seeded Alcaraz takes a 24-match winning streak into the final Sunday, when he will face No. 1 Jannik Sinner or 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the 2023 and 2024 title matches at the All England Club and is 5-0 so far in major finals. That includes a five-set comeback win over Sinner at the French Open a month ago.

The fifth-seeded Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner at last year's U.S. Open, was trying to become the first American man in the Wimbledon final since Andy Roddick lost to Roger Federer in 2009.

Fritz had two chances to forced a fifth set against Alcaraz, leading 6-4 in the fourth-set tiebreaker. But Alcaraz on the next four points to finish off the win, then rocked back on his heels, spread his arms wide and screamed.

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Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns the ball to Taylor Fritz of the U.S. during the men's semifinal singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July 11, 2025.(AP Photo/Joanna Chan)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, right, greets Taylor Fritz of the U.S. after beating him in a men's singles semifinal at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Taylor Fritz of the U.S. returns to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the men's semifinal singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Friday, July 11, 2025.(AP Photo/Joanna Chan)