Alcaraz Wins 20th Straight to Reach Wimbledon Third Round

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz eased into the Wimbledon third round on Wednesday, dispatching British qualifier Oliver Tarvet 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 17 minutes on Centre Court. The victory extended the 22-year-old Spaniard’s winning streak to 20 matches, a run that has already yielded titles at the Rome Masters, Roland Garros and Queen’s Club this season.

Tarvet, a 21-year-old University of San Diego student ranked No. 733, thrilled the home crowd with occasional net rushes but could convert only one break point against the world No. 2. Alcaraz struck 34 winners, saved the lone break he faced in the final set and finished with an ace to seal the match.

The three-time Grand Slam champion will play either Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, whose second-round contest was halted at one set apiece because of fading light. Alcaraz is seeking to become the fifth man in the Open Era to win three successive Wimbledon titles.

Earlier on Centre Court, women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcame Marie Bouzkova 7-6 (4), 6-4 to avoid joining the tournament’s growing list of casualties. A record 13 seeded men were eliminated in the first round, while high-profile women’s exits have included Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula.