LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British amateur Oliver Tarvet said facing Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon was the “most special day” of his life, but the world No. 733 has no intention of turning professional just yet.

Tarvet defied the vast ranking gap between him and world No. 2 Alcaraz as he won the hearts of the Centre Court crowd with a tenacious display in his 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 second-round defeat on Wednesday.

Playing only his second main draw Grand Slam match, the 21-year-old forced Alcaraz to dig deep before the Spaniard finally prevailed to remain on track for a third successive Wimbledon crown.

Trading blows with the five-time Grand Slam champion was an unforgettable experience for Tarvet.

“It’s not every day that you get to play against maybe the best player in the world,” he said.

“I did a pretty good job of kind of enjoying the moment and trying to also play some good tennis at the same time.”

“I woke up a couple of times in the night from the adrenaline. In the car, my heart rate was going quicker than it usually does. Obviously, there were nerves.”

“I kind of knew that the first set might be difficult because it’s not a stage that I’m used to. I still had break points in three games. I had chances.”

After failing to convert eight break points in the first set, Tarvet managed to break early in the second.

He celebrated by waggling his finger to the crowd, who rose in delight — before Alcaraz immediately spoiled the party by breaking straight back.

Tarvet admitted that kind of ruthless moment from Alcaraz showed the different levels the two players were capable of reaching.