Carlos Alcaraz's first match in his title defense at Queen's
turned out to be a challenging one against Francisco Cerúndolo. Although the
Spanish player completely dominated the first set, winning it 6-1 convincingly,
the second set required a comeback from 2-5 down, stringing together four
consecutive games to ultimately secure a 7-5 victory.
It was Alcaraz's first match since winning Roland Garros,
and in his post-match comments, Carlitos explained that no matter what a player
has achieved previously, the next challenge is entirely different: "It
doesn't matter the tournament I'm playing or all that I've achieved... I have
to keep learning. I have to improve every day. Every time I step on a grass
court, I need to learn how to move better and play better. I feel that I am
still learning here."
This is the second year that Carlos Alcaraz is seriously
embarking on the grass season. In 2023, he secured an epic victory at Wimbledon
after also winning at Queen's. He also wanted to redeem himself from the injury
that caused his defeat in the semi-finals of Roland Garros against Novak
Djokovic. Now that he is the Paris Grand Slam champion, will the Spaniard
approach the grass season differently?
"I have to enjoy my days off and celebrate everything.
I think you need it to rest your mind a little. To come back stronger and with
a lot of energy. So I had three days... it was enough for me. Here we are, full
of energy. Excited to keep going," confirmed a determined Carlos Alcaraz,
who seems ready to give it his all despite stating he would prefer to win the
Olympics over Wimbledon this year.
In the second round at Queen's, Carlos Alcaraz will face the
winner of the match between
Jack Draper and
Mariano Navone, which at the time
of writing, has yet to be played.