Meet Oliver Tarvet, who stunned against Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon: the 21-year-old student was the lowest-ranked player in the main draw, yet he put up an able defence against the world No 2

South China Morning Post

12 hours ago

In a fiery display at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on July 2, Britain's Oliver Tarvet, the lowest-ranked player in the main draw, put up a commendable fight against
world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz . The 21-year-old Brit battled through three rounds of the qualifying competition and made his Centre Court debut with a win against Switzerland's Leandro Riedi.
Oliver Tarvet (pictured), the lowest-ranked wild card at Wimbledon, beat Leandro Riedi in their first-round match on June 30. Photo: PA via AP
On what he described as the 'most special day of my life', Tarvet faced Spain's Alcaraz, a five-time grand slam champion, in a match lasting two hours and 17 minutes. This was the first time the British student had played on the main tennis tour, and although he lost to the Spaniard 6-1, 6-4, 6-4, he left a strong impression with a level of determination and skills far exceeding his world rank of 733.
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'In his second match on the tour, I just loved his game to be honest,' Alcaraz, Wimbledon's two-time defending champion, commented. 'I knew I had to play my best tennis. I was really happy with my performance, but big praise to [Tarvet] as well.'
He impressed his high-ranking opponent and everyone who watched his performance at Wimbledon on July 2. Here's what to know about Oliver Tarvet.
Wimbledon inspired him as a child
Oliver Tarvet (pictured) may have lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of Wimbledon, but he did so in heroic fashion considering the players' relative world rankings of 733 and 2. Photo: Xinhua
Tarvet first picked up a racket at a tennis centre near his family's home in Hertfordshire, in southeast England, per the BBC. At six years old, he had his first real lesson – and according to the coach, 'It was the best first impression anyone ever gave me in a first lesson.' Tarvet did not fully commit to tennis until he was in his teens, however. He was home-schooled for A-levels to enable him to play full-time at London's Unique Tennis Academy.
The young player was fortunate enough to be able to
attend Wimbledon with his family as a child – something he did from around the age of nine. 'I was a pretty good player as a little kid, and obviously it was a big dream of mine to come back and play on those courts,' he told Wimbledon.com last month. 'It felt so far away; now it's a reality. I'm just so happy I was able to pull through.'
He can't keep most of his prize money
Oliver Tarvet (left) plays for the University of San Diego. Photo: @ollie_tarvet7/Instagram
For reaching the second round of Wimbledon, Tarvet won £99,000 (US$135,300) in prize money – but he will not be seeing most it. The amateur is currently on the college team at the University of San Diego, where he is a rising senior studying communications. Under National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules, he can only claim US$10,000 per year in earnings, to maintain his amateur status.