Carlos Alcaraz starts Wimbledon title defense as Andy Murray faces 'closure'

Carlos Alcaraz, aged 21, commences his Wimbledon title defense on Monday while Andy Murray, a two-time champion at 37, contemplates whether to end his singles career at the All-England Club.

Alcaraz is vying for his fourth Grand Slam title and aims to join the elite group of Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win the French Open and Wimbledon consecutively.

The third-seeded Spaniard expressed, "I know that there's going to be a really difficult and big challenge for me, but I think I'm ready to do it."

Alcaraz will face 21-year-old Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal, who had never won a Grand Slam qualifying match or a main draw tie until last week.

Lajal, the son of a motocross rider, has only two wins on the ATP tour but his distinctive dreadlocked, blond hairstyle certainly makes him stand out.

"I've had them for a very long time. It has kind of become a big part of me and my image. A lot of people know me just from my dreads. I think it's cool," said the world number 269.

Last year, Lajal was losing a first-round match at a second-tier Challenger event in the US and earning a mere $780.

For reaching the first round at Wimbledon, he is guaranteed $75,000 (£60,000).

World number one Jannik Sinner, a semi-finalist in 2023, will start against Yannick Hanfmann, the German world number 110.

Hanfmann has been eliminated in the first round in both of his main draw appearances at Wimbledon.

Sinner defeated him in their only meeting at the US Open in 2023, where the German won just five games in their first-round clash.

The 22-year-old Sinner clinched his first Slam at the Australian Open and then overtook Djokovic as world number one, becoming the first Italian man to achieve such a feat.

Sinner arrives in London after securing his first grass-court title in Halle.

Andy Murray, the former world number one, will announce later today whether he will participate in singles at his final Wimbledon. The 37-year-old recently underwent surgery to remove a cyst from his spine and is still experiencing numbness in his leg.

Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013, is scheduled to play against Tomas Machac on Tuesday. If he is unable to compete, he plans to play doubles with his brother Jamie before retiring from Wimbledon after 19 years.

Murray hopes for a chance to play one last time on Centre Court for closure. In other matches, Coco Gauff, the second seed, will face Caroline Dolehide, while Aryna Sabalenka, the world number three, will play against Emina Bektas. Sabalenka admitted to not being fully fit due to a shoulder injury.