For both the men who got Centre Court play underway at Wimbledon 2024, it was an occasion marking significant new territory.

For Carlos Alcaraz, it was the first time he has returned to SW19 as defending champion. Meanwhile, for Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal, world ranked No.269, it was his Centre Court debut – along with his Wimbledon debut, his Grand Slam main draw debut, and his Tour-level grass court debut… all on the first occasion he has ever faced a Top 10 player, much less a three-time Grand Slam champion.

Yet it was the Spaniard who got bogged down trying to reliably locate his wayward first serve, while Lajal’s play was as positive as it was often composed. It was the sharp end of the second set before Alcaraz could exert control, ultimately coming through 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-2.

“He played a really good match,” said Alcaraz in rightful praise. “Obviously it surprised me a little bit because I haven’t seen him too much. He has the level to go up a lot. I’m sure I’ll play against him more often. I’m really happy to get my first win on Centre Court this year.

“I still get nerves and excitement a lot stepping on this court. It’s such a privilege. It’s the most beautiful court I’ve played on. I practised here for 45 mins last Thursday and it’s the first time I’ve been nervous during a practice. Just walking around here I got goosebumps.

“During the match, the memories of last year came back a little bit but I tried not to think about it. That was a totally different tournament and I have to be focused on my game to achieve the same as last year.”

Lajal – at 21, Alcaraz’s junior by one week, or several tennis light years, depending on which measure you’re looking at – was with his mother Merilyn and his coach Thomas Le Boulch last Friday when he learned who he had drawn to play in the first round.

“We all started screaming,” he said that day. “I wanted to play someone big. But Carlos on Centre Court… I’m quite excited.”

Loving that “quite”. But he certainly wasn’t overawed, even though the highest-ranked player he had previously defeated at any level was No.78 James Duckworth in the final round of qualifying here last week.

Knowledgeable as Wimbledon crowds are, it is possible that not every spectator present was familiar with last year’s winner of the Little Rock Challenger. But they liked what they saw of him in the first set, and not only for his eye-catching hair (“I’ve had the dreads since I was six”).

At 2-2, he outfoxed the Spanish phenomenon to bring up two break points, and while Alcaraz salvaged the first with a superlative half-volley, Lajal was in total control of the second.

Alcaraz answered with the next eight points, yet Lajal’s optimism just wouldn’t be dented. But in the breaker, it was crushing that he concluded it with a double fault.

For the record, the lowest-ranked player to defeat Alcaraz at a Grand Slam was No.95 Mikael Ymer in the second round of the 2021 Australian Open. At the time, it wasn’t exactly the shock of the century – the Spaniard was then a 17-year-old ranked 141, and had come through qualifying to reach his first Grand Slam main draw.

On the other hand, in rather more recent times, it is just two weeks since Alcaraz’s defence of his Queen’s title (and his 13-match winning streak on grass) was derailed by Jack Draper. Here, Alcaraz needed time to get into his stride. He gifted Lajal a break early in the second, although he grabbed it right back.

But the No.3 seed really took control when Lajal was serving with three points for 6-5. Suddenly the champion’s quality shone, executing a devastating slice en route to the next nine straight points. At last Lajal’s can-do bubble was burst and in the third set he never got it back.