- Alcaraz earned a 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 win over Jiri Lehecka in a closely contest battle
- The Spaniard will now set his sights on a third successive Wimbledon triumph
- Roger Federer last achieved the feat as part of five in a row from 2003 to 2007
Carclos Alcaraz is the king of Queen’s again.
And with a well-fought victory, the Spaniard sent out a thumping message to rivals that he could soon be the first man to win three Wimbledon titles in a row since Roger Federer’s run of five between 2003 and 2007.
Novak Djokovic might have a grumble or two about that statistic given he won at SW19 twice either side of the barren year of 2020 when Covid meant there was no tournament.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner might also have a mutter about the projections of an Alcaraz ‘threepeat’, too – but no one can argue that the 22-year-old from Murcia is the red-hot favourite once more for Wimbledon as he looks to claim his sixth Grand Slam title.
He came through to beat Czech Jiri Lehecka, the slayer of British No 1 Jack Draper on Saturday, in a closely-fought three-set battle that finished 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 in the searing west London heat.
And Alcaraz said days off in Ibiza before the grass-court swing was the key to his success. ‘I’m a player who needs days off, days to enjoy, days for myself to spend with my friends, with my family, just to turn off my mind,’ he said.
‘The days in Ibiza helped me a lot, just to feel like I’m not a tennis player, just to enjoy life a little bit with my friends, have fun, enjoy those days, and then come back to the court with more energy, to be more hungry to play again.
‘That was really helpful for me. After this tournament, I can’t go back home. I’m going to stay here and hopefully enjoy London a little bit. Have my days off to rest up, to enjoy, and then be back and prepare for Wimbledon the best way possible.
‘I had so much hate when I lost in Miami (in March, his last defeat). Instead of practice after that, I took a break and I went to Cancun with my family. A lot of people said, “What’s going on with this guy that he just lost in the first round, and he didn’t practice to be better?”
‘But that was the key, just to have five days off, not grabbing a racquet, not stepping on the court. Just go on vacation with my family, to turn off my mind, to think what I should have done better.
‘I just got the joy back, and I started to enjoy playing tennis again.’
It was Alcaraz’s second win at Queen’s after triumphing here in 2023 and, despite being raised on the clay courts, he is a man for all surfaces, now showing why he is maturing into the king of grass, too.
Statistically, the green lawns are his premium surface. He has won 29 of 32 matches on grass with a victory percentage of 91, putting him above even Federer and Rod Laver.
Having come from two sets down in the French Open final at Roland Garros earlier this month, he goes into Wimbledon as the 7/4 favourite to take the title for a third successive year, ahead of the man he beat in that mammoth match in Paris, Sinner.
Djokovic and even British world No 4 Jack Draper will feel they have a fighting chance of winning what would be a 25th or first major title. But both of them, polar opposites in their tennis journeys, will be wanting to avoid Alcaraz in the All England Club draw.
He goes there in the best form of his life and is on an 18-match winning streak after winning his fifth title of the year, his 21st of all time and fourth on grass, which matches his idol Rafael Nadal.
Lehecka said: ‘It’s tough for me to find the words now, but I’m super happy that I had the chance to fight for the title today. Well done to Carlos and your team for doing a great job. I gave everything I had today and unfortunately it wasn’t enough.’
Those words are shared by many who have shared a court with Alcaraz over the years. Lehecka played some great tennis all week but his opponent here was just on another level.
World No 30 Lehecka, though, made this an even contest for two tight sets. After being unable to handle a late surge from Alcaraz in the first, in which he won eight of the final 10 points from 0-30 down at 4-5 to take it 7-5, the Czech recomposed himself to claim the second set.
His powerful game asked questions of Alcaraz despite a beautiful, deft lob. It was the shot of the match and got the Queen’s Club crowd on their feet, including Peter Crouch who lurked at the back of the members’ balcony and enjoyed watching the great entertainer Alcaraz.
That second set lasted 56 minutes but the decider took just 28, Alcaraz stepping up the tempo and finding his groove, letting out several shouts of ‘vamos’ as he saw out the win.
