LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz has firmly established himself as the player to watch at Wimbledon, securing a victory over Jiri Lehecka in the Queen’s Club final on Sunday.
The top-seeded Spaniard mirrored his 2023 debut success on the lush grass courts of west London, clinching the title with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-2.
This marks Alcaraz’s impressive 18th consecutive match win as he continues his streak into his fifth successive final, following impressive triumphs in Rome and the French Open.
Lehecka made waves by defeating local favorite Jack Draper in the semifinals, becoming the first Czech player to reach this final since Ivan Lendl took the title in 1990.
The 23-year-old showcased his skills in a high-octane final with powerful serves and striking groundstrokes, pushing the match into a tiebreaker before succumbing to Alcaraz.
However, Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon champion, displayed remarkable resilience by facing no break points and unleashing 18 aces, marking his 21st career title and second win at Queen’s.
He lifted the trophy just two weeks after a grueling five-set battle against Jannik Sinner at Roland-Garros.
The 22-year-old made the transition from clay to grass appear effortless, even taking a brief holiday in Ibiza before arriving in London.
“Switching from clay to grass in just a few days is really challenging, as that was the timeframe I had before the tournament kicked off,” Alcaraz said. “I came here with no expectations.”
“My aim was to play two or three matches, get comfortable moving on grass, and gain insights on what I needed to improve.”
“What I am most proud of this week is my daily improvement. Since the first day until now, I feel like I’ve evolved as a player on this surface; I adjusted really quickly.”
Wimbledon begins on June 30.
