Carlos Alcaraz already knows Taylor Fritz's true feelings after 'stopping' claim

Taylor Fritz will hope to prove himself wrong in his previous assessment that Carlos Alcaraz is "stopping" him from winning Grand Slams as the pair meet in the Wimbledon semi-finals. The American, 27, enjoyed a four-set victory over Karen Khachanov on Tuesday to set up a tie with the two-time reigning champion for a spot in what would be Fritz's first final appearance at the All England Club.

The Spaniard, meanwhile, enjoyed a routine straight sets triumph over Brit Cameron Norrie to potentially become the first player since Novak Djokovic to reach three consecutive finals at SW19. The Serb is the only active men's singles player with more majors than Alcaraz (five), who has already smashed various records in tennis at such a young age. With Fritz and Alcaraz meeting on Friday, the victor will take on either Jannik Sinner or Djokovic on Sunday, as the American's 2023 statement about his opponent can continue to ring true should he face defeat at the hands of the 22-year-old. Alcaraz was only 19 when he won his first Slam at the US Open in 2022 and subsequently became the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history.

His success so early on in his career led Fritz to claim that he is "stopping" his fellow players from establishing themselves as major champions. The world No. 5 admitted that some of the new generation of the sport have somewhat been blindsided by Alcaraz's dominance after waiting for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to finally retire after decades of supremacy.

The likes of Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas were expected to take over the sport but remain without a major, while Alcaraz is on track to follow in the footsteps of some of the greatest to ever grace the court. "I always thought, when you run into Nadal, or Federer, Djokovic, or [Andy] Murray, you're in trouble," Fritz told Esquire.

"We've just been waiting for them to move out of the way. Now, we have this next wave coming in, and it's motivating. But, there's Alcaraz. I think Alcaraz is going to be the main person that's stopping us from winning Slams."

Ahead of their tasty clash, Fritz's coach, Michael Russell, pinpointed what he believes the American top seed must do to subdue Alcaraz's electric athleticism. "That's part of the intangibles that Carlos has, his ability to explosively move around the court and his variety," Russell told ATPTour.com.

"He's able to serve and volley, he's able to hit drop shots, he's got great touch, and he's also able to hit winners from a lot of different court positions. So you expect him to hit some amazing shots and the crowd's going to be entertained.

To be the first to receive the latest Wimbledon news, join our WhatsApp community or Wimbledon newsletter

"But at the same time, if Taylor's hitting his spots on the serve and he's looking to quickly get around and establish his forehand and use those good targets, [it will give] him opportunities to finish points and move forward. Then that's providing challenges to Carlos and not allowing him to basically dictate play and how he wants to play."