“I can’t stand you,” Tiafoe details exchange with Alcaraz after Wimbledon loss

Frances Tiafoe jokingly said, “I can’t stand you” to Carlos Alcaraz after a thrilling third-round defeat at Wimbledon. An incredible third-round match took place on Centre Court between the reigning champion and the American 29th seed. Big-Foe came close to upsetting the Spaniard, but ‘Carlitos’ ultimately pulled off a hard-fought victory.

Tiafoe has had a disappointing season leading up to SW19, with no titles and a poor 13-14 record this year, putting him on the brink of falling out of the top 30. However, consecutive wins at Wimbledon helped him avoid another drop in the rankings. The 26-year-old American displayed his best level against Alcaraz, even though he didn’t secure the win.

The American showed he could return to the elite, with high intensity and developing an evenly matched duel against world No. 3 Alcaraz. The match ended 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 in favour of Alcaraz after four hours, and they shared a friendly exchange at the net.

Tiafoe detailed the interaction in a press conference, mentioning what Alcaraz said to him: "Just ultimate respect,” Alcaraz said to Tiafoe. “Him just saying, 'It’s good to see you play like that.' Me just saying, 'I can’t stand you.'"

Tiafoe also assured that this defeat at Wimbledon hurt more than the one he suffered in the 2022 US Open semifinals when Alcaraz also won a tight match on his way to his first Grand Slam title, with a score of 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3.

If I want to win one of these things, I got to beat him,” Tiafoe said. “I mean, of course, I'm going to think about it. But I think this one hurts a little more than the Open. I think this one I can honestly take confidence from and can't hang my head too low,” the former world No. 19 concluded.