Carlos Alcaraz Advances in Queen’s Title Defense

Carlos Alcaraz picked up right where he left off on British grass, launching his Queen’s title defense with a straight-sets victory over Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. The 21-year-old Spaniard, fresh from his Wimbledon triumph last year, transitioned smoothly from clay, despite facing challenges against the 26th-ranked Cerundolo.  Alcaraz, now world number two, extended his grass court winning streak to 12 matches, emphasizing his ongoing learning process on this surface. “It doesn’t matter what tournaments I’m playing or what I’ve achieved, I’m still learning,” Alcaraz remarked. “Every time I step onto a grass court, I need to improve my movement and my game.”

In a match where he dominated the first set but had to fight back in the second after a setback at 5-2 down, Alcaraz demonstrated resilience. He eventually prevailed 6-1, 7-5, breaking Cerundolo late in the second set to secure victory. Reflecting on his performance, Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged the challenges of starting a new tournament on grass: “The first match in every tournament is never easy, but especially here on grass. Starting the grass season, you want a good result and you have to manage your own expectations.”

Next up for Alcaraz is a second-round clash with Britain’s new number one, Jack Draper, who also advanced with a win over Mariano Navone of Argentina.