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Oliver Tarvet Not Allowed to Take Home Most of His Wimbledon Prize Money

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 6:03 PM ET

The British youngster Oliver Tarvet, currently studying and training at the University of San Diego, is restricted by NCAA regulations. These rules prevent him from receiving most of his Wimbledon prize money.

Under NCAA guidelines, student-athletes are limited to $10,000 in annual profits from pro events, plus covered expenses. Because of this, Tarvet cannot claim the full £99,000 he earned by winning his first-round match at Wimbledon. He is now working to determine what can be listed as expenses to stay within the rules.

Tarvet defeated Switzerland’s Leandro Riedi in straight sets to reach the second round. His reward was a high-profile match against World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Centre Court. While he entered as a heavy underdog, an unlikely victory would have earned him £152,000 for reaching the third round. However, most of that prize money would also be affected by NCAA limits.

American tennis player Danielle Collins is hopeful that changes can be made to the college rules affecting Tarvet. Despite the setback, she believes athletes like Tarvet shouldn’t lose out. Having come through the college system herself at the University of Virginia, she understands the challenges. Collins has argued that players should be allowed to invest their earnings for the future, helping them build financial stability once their careers end.

Carlos Alcaraz beats Oliver Tarvet

Carlos Alcaraz had no trouble in his second-round match at Wimbledon on Wednesday. He defeated British qualifier Oliver Tarvet in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. It was a much smoother performance compared to his opening-round five-set battle against Fabio Fognini. Alcaraz dominated from start to finish, hitting 37 winners and breaking Tarvet’s serve six times.

This victory marked Alcaraz’s 20th win in a row and extended his unbeaten run at Wimbledon to 16 matches. With this result, he became the fastest player in the Open Era to reach 30 grass-court wins. After his win over Fognini earlier in the week, he now holds 31 victories on grass heading into his third-round clash against either Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff.

Alcaraz is targeting more history this summer. The two-time defending Wimbledon champion is hoping to join Bjorn Borg as only the second man to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon back-to-back in consecutive years. He’s also aiming to become just the fifth player to win three straight Wimbledon titles.

Tarvet, 21, plays college tennis at the University of San Diego and made his Grand Slam debut after coming through qualifying. He defeated Leandro Riedi in the first round and impressed at times against Alcaraz with some brilliant passing shots. But he struggled to match the World No. 2’s consistency and power, eventually falling in just over two hours.

Carlos Alcaraz already a winner with seeding carnage

Thirteen seeded men were knocked out during the first two days at Wimbledon 2025. This shake-up has made the draw slightly easier for the top contenders. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic remain the leading favourites. Sinner is the current world No. 1, Alcaraz is aiming for a third straight Wimbledon title, and Djokovic is chasing his eighth crown.

Alcaraz, the defending champion and second seed, leads the bottom half of the draw. He was originally projected to face Holger Rune in the quarter-finals. However, Rune lost his opening match to qualifier Nicolas Jarry. This early exit has removed a major obstacle from Alcaraz’s path.

Before the quarter-finals, Alcaraz may still have to get past 14th seed Andrey Rublev in the fourth round. If he advances, he could then face either 12th seed Frances Tiafoe or 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka, who are now the highest-ranked players remaining in that section of the draw.

The biggest break for Alcaraz came when third seed Alexander Zverev lost in five sets to Arthur Rinderknech. The Spaniard had been expected to meet Zverev in the semi-finals. With Zverev out, fifth seed Taylor Fritz is now the likely semifinal opponent. If Alcaraz reaches the final, he could face Sinner, Djokovic, or local hope Jack Draper.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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