Eyeing Trophy, Not Hat-Trick

Upbeat Alcaraz plays without fear; Sinner feels ready too even with 2 crew changes

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LONDON - Carlos Alcaraz believes conquering his fear factor has given him the confidence to chase a landmark third successive Wimbledon title.

He will start his Wimbledon defence against Italian Fabio Fognini on Centre Court on June 30.

The 22-year-old Spaniard is aiming to become just the fifth man to win at least three straight Wimbledon titles in the Open Era, after Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals at the All England Club, returns to Wimbledon on a career-best 18-match winning streak.

The world No. 2 knows the historic connotations of his title bid over the next fortnight, but he does not want to be distracted by talk of Wimbledon immortality.

"I'm coming here thinking that I really want to win the title. I really want to lift the trophy, not thinking about how many players have won three Wimbledons in a row," Alcaraz told reporters at the All England Club on June 28.

"Obviously, I feel a lot of confidence right now. But I'm just thinking about going forward and starting the tournament.