Carlos Alcaraz: Opponent reveals how it feels to face the Spanish great on Wimbledon’s Centre Court
It would be easy to think you have been dropped into a computer game as you walk out on Centre Court at Wimbledon and shake hands at the net with Carlos Alcaraz.
That was the fantasy Britain’s Oliver Tarvet lived out last summer as he came through qualifying and made it through to the second round at the All England Club.
Making his mark in a Grand Slam event ensured Tarvet’s name was up in lights for the first time and when the draw put Alcaraz in his path, his profile for a British media pack keen to find a new hero went to new levels.
The last year has not been quite so glorious for Tarvet, as he has been plying his trade on the ATP Challenger Tour and the lower ranks of the ITF World Tennis Tour, yet he believes his moment in the spotlight against Alcaraz can be repeated.
Speaking to Tennis365 at an ASICS event in London, Tarvet looked back on his Centre Court moment and he did so with a sense of perspective that suggests he has the right attitude to ensure it was not a one-hit wonder for the 22-year-old.
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“I think I was so ignorant last year at Wimbledon that just wasn’t really thinking about what was happening,” said Tarvet, as he reflected on his emotion looking at Alcaraz on the other side of the net on his Centre Court debut.
“I remember in the car on the way to play our Centre Court that I was definitely more nervous than I had been.
“I also had like a tour of Centre Court for the first time on Tuesday and I think Aryna Sabalenka was playing. It was absolutely packed and I remember being there for a minute and thinking I don’t want to be here for too long because the more I was there, the more I was overthinking it.
“I was so ignorant that I didn’t overthink it. And I just went on court and I was like, okay, obviously I’m on the biggest stage of maybe maybe the biggest court in tennis against maybe maybe the best player right now with along with Jannik Sinner.
“Then I feel like I just played tennis. I tried not to fixate too much on the other side of the net. I feel like I just tried to take care of my own business and, you know, what I could control.
“Obviously, it was tough, so I felt like sometimes I hit some really good shots and it still wasn’t good enough.
“Some of the stuff that he comes up with is not normal. I feel like I was prepared for that and I wanted to enjoy my time on Centre Court.
“It was also a big thing for me and embracing the moment and not overthinking it allowed me to enjoy it.”
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Losing 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to Alcaraz was a good effort from Tarvet and he admits the competitive nature of the second two sets gave him real encouragement.
“It definitely was very motivating, those 10 days last summer,” he added. “It encouraged me to think that if I keep working, I keep on chipping away each day, things can happen that you don’t necessarily expect.
“Obviously, I would say there is definitely a level gap between how Alcaraz and I play, but I was maybe a little surprised how big that gap was because I was competitive with him for two sets.
“I was able to break in twice as well and I feel like I definitely had some things to work on on my serving, on my service games, but I feel like on return games, I was doing a good job making returns, you know, making his life complicated at times.
“I came away thinking I know exactly what I need to work on, and especially if I work on my serve in my offensive opportunities.”
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