Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz faces his close friend Frances Tiafoe in the Wimbledon third round on Friday. Despite their friendship, Alcaraz emphasizes the competitive nature of tennis: "Once you step on the court, players are not friends. You have to focus on yourself and try to beat him."

Alcaraz, aiming to become only the sixth man to win both the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back, defeated Tiafoe in a thrilling five-set US Open semi-final in 2022 on his way to his first Grand Slam title. He praises Tiafoe as both a great player and a person who enjoys his time on and off the court.

Tiafoe, the world number 29, is in the Wimbledon third round for the fourth consecutive year. After a tough five-set win over Matteo Arnaldi in the first round, he cruised past Borna Coric. This is the first time Tiafoe has achieved consecutive victories at tour level since April.

World number one Jannik Sinner, who endured a challenging four-set match against Italian compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the second round, will now face Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic. Sinner, the Australian Open champion, was a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2023 and is seeking a spot in the last 16.

US Open champion and world number two Coco Gauff faces British outsider Sonay Kartal, ranked 298, who has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time. The two players come from different worlds on the tennis tour. While Gauff was starting her US Open title run last year, Kartal was earning just $550 for losing in a low-level ITF event in Prague.

Gauff has already earned over $2.6 million this year, whereas Kartal's progress to the Wimbledon last 32 has guaranteed her a windfall of more than $182,000, compared to her total 2024 earnings of just over $18,500. Gauff has shown impressive form this week, dropping only six games in her two matches.

Two of tennis's great entertainers, Gael Monfils and Grigor Dimitrov, face off for a place in the last 16. With a combined age of 70, Monfils, 37, and Dimitrov, 33, have surprisingly only met five times, with Monfils holding a 4-1 advantage. Monfils reached the Wimbledon last 16 in 2018, while Dimitrov was a semi-finalist in 2014.

Two former US Open women's champions aim to reach the fourth round. Britain's Emma Raducanu takes on Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari, whom she defeated in the US Open semi-finals on her way to winning the 2021 title.

Canada's Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open winner, faces Roland Garros runner-up and seventh-ranked Jasmine Paolini. Andreescu, who has struggled with injuries, looks to advance further in the tournament.