How Carlos Alcaraz’s rise to grass-court royalty began at The Queen’s Club
Carlos Alcaraz is one of the most exciting talents to ever pick up a tennis racquet – and he is well on his way to becoming an all-time great.
The Spanish maestro returns to The Queen’s Club seeking his second title in his third appearance at the HSBC Championships.
On his debut in 2023, Alcaraz defeated Arthur Rinderknech, Jiri Lehecka, Grigor Dimitrov, Sebastian Korda and Alex de Minaur to collect his first grass-court title in only his third tournament on the surface.
Alcaraz took his form onto the hallowed courts of The All England Club and – three weeks after his Queen’s triumph – he stunned Novak Djokovic in an epic five-set final to secure his maiden Wimbledon crown.
It was a seismic victory, given that Djokovic – a seven-time Wimbledon champion – had not lost a completed match in SW19 since 2016.
Last year’s edition of The Queen’s Club Championships welcomed Alcaraz a week after he won his first French Open title and third Grand Slam overall.
The top seed saw off Francisco Cerundolo in his opening match to extend his winning streak on grass to 13 matches.
This outstanding run, and Alcaraz’s unbeaten record at the tournament, came to an end in the second round as he was upset by Great Britain’s Jack Draper.
“Well, of course [it] is tough to deal with the losses, you know, but I think it’s part of our lives,” Alcaraz reflected after the 6-7, 3-6 loss to Draper.
“We have to, you know, be as good as you can. After the losses, you have to take the positive things and of course the negative things just to improve to the next tournament.
“Yeah, I’m not too good right now. I felt like I didn’t play well, I didn’t move well. Of course, I have to give credit to Jack. I think he played really good tennis today, but it doesn’t change too much for me.”
Alcaraz put the disappointment behind him, though, as he successfully defended a major for the first time at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.
Having been tested by Frances Tiafoe, Ugo Humbert, Tommy Paul and Daniil Medvedev en route to the championship match, Alcaraz saved his best performance for last.
In a rematch of the previous final, Alcaraz delivered a devastating display – arguably the finest of his career to date – to dismantle Djokovic in straight sets.
The victory saw Alcaraz become the youngest man in the Open Era to complete the Channel Slam – winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same season – at the age of 21 years and 70 days.
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The Spaniard could be set for another Queen’s showdown with Draper this year, and he is determined to reclaim the title.
“I can’t wait to get back on the grass at The Queen’s Club next summer,” said the world No 2.
“Lifting the title two years ago is what gave me the belief to go on and win Wimbledon for the first time, so it always means a lot to compete there.
“I’m ready to come back again in 2025 and give it my all to try and win another trophy. I want to join amazing players like [Andy] Murray, [Feliciano] Lopez, [Andy] Roddick, etc in winning this title multiple times and I’m confident that I can achieve that.
“I love playing in front of the fans in London, the LTA puts on a great event and I hope I can have another successful summer in the UK.”
Alcaraz’s 2025 campaign started at the Australian Open, where he suffered a tough four-set quarter-final loss to Djokovic. The Melbourne Grand Slam is the only major title Alcaraz is yet to claim.
Despite a challenging early-season run by his lofty standards, Alcaraz has won tournaments in Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome and at the French Open in 2025 to take his title tally to 20 – already an outstanding haul for a player who celebrated his 22nd birthday on May 5.
The Murcian’s five-set win against Jannik Sinner in the French Open final has been hailed by many observers as one of the greatest tennis matches of all-time.
The five-time major champion will look to further cement his place among grass-court legends this year. John McEnroe — who certainly fits that description as a three-time Wimbledon singles champion — is a huge admirer.
“Carlos Alcaraz is my favourite player to watch,” McEnroe said.
“He’s the most skilled young man I’ve ever seen at this age. It’s hard to believe he can keep improving as he is already so good at everything.
“The biggest thing he brings to the court is that smile. The joy he brings to the court to compete for everything. That is so hard to be able to do – enjoy it while you are stressing out.”
Alcaraz carries an outstanding 24–3 record on grass into this year’s event at Queen’s, giving him a win rate of 88.9% — his best on any surface.
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