UVA alum Alexander Ritschard qualifies for Wimbledon

Virginia men’s tennis alum Alexander Ritschard has advanced through qualifying to earn a spot in the main draw at Wimbledon.

This is the first time Ritschard has qualified to play in a Grand Slam. He advanced to the qualifying final last month at Roland-Garros.

Ritschard, who is currently ranked No. 192 in the world, defeated Croatian Duje Ajdukovic 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 in the qualifying final to punch his ticket. He opened the qualifying tournament with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win against Stuart Parker and followed with a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Nicolas Kicker to advance to the final.

At Virginia, Ritschard played three seasons for the Cavaliers as a member of the 2015-17 NCAA Championship teams. In his senior season, he played at the No. 1 singles position, was named the ITA Atlantic Region Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award Winner and the ITA Atlantic Region’s Most Improved Senior while also earning a place on the All-ACC Second Team. Ritschard has won five Futures titles in his professional career and made the finals of the Forli Challenger in Italy last year.

Ritschard is the 16th different Cavalier to play in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament. At least one UVA alum has played in each of the last 53 Grand Slams dating back to 2009 Wimbledon.