Oliver Tarvet ‘quietly confident’ he can beat anyone – including Carlos Alcaraz

Oliver Tarvet made it four wins in a row on his Wimbledon debut – and insisted he can keep the run going when he faces Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old San Diego University student is ranked down at 733 but he took full advantage of a wild card into qualifying by winning three matches to earn his place at the All England Club.

And he looked right at home on the lawns of SW19, producing an assured performance to claim a 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi from Switzerland.

The prize is a crack at defending champion Alcaraz, who only scraped past Fabio Fognini, and Tarvet said: “As a kid, it’s what you dream of. I came here when I was a little kid. It’s what you work for. Obviously, it’s a pretty long-term goal.

“But for it to happen so suddenly has been really special. I’ve come here and not really set myself any expectations. I’m quietly confident that I can win against anyone. Alcaraz isn’t an exception to that.

“Obviously, he’s done an incredible amount in the tennis world. He’s a difficult guy not to respect. But just go out there and try and treat it like another match.”

By reaching the second round, Tarvet’s prize money has gone up to a guaranteed £99,000, but much of that may have to go unclaimed.

He is planning to go back to university in the United States for his final year, and the rules of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which runs college sports, requires players to stay amateur.

Tarvet can claim 10,000 US dollars (approximately £7,300) as well as the expenses he has incurred during the tournament, and he hopes he can find a way to keep most of his winnings.

“Maybe I hire someone to help me out with the expenses, make sure the NCAA are happy,” he said. “It’s very important for me. I have a lot of goals at USD still.

“I’ve got to find £60,000, £70,000 of expenses – tennis is an expensive sport so hopefully I can make that happen.”

There was no mistaking the joy Tarvet felt at his achievement, though. The St Albans player punched the air with a wide smile plastered on his face after serving out the victory, in which he did not face a break point and made so few unforced errors that Riedi described him as a British wall.

“I’m not here for the money,” added Tarvet. “I’m here for the crowd and the experience and just to stamp my mark. I think I’ve done a pretty good job so far.”