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Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable record on grass courts continued as he won his second title at the Queen’s Club and his fourth overall on the surface with another thrilling display to beat Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2.

The pure joy Alcaraz sprinkles on a tennis court was felt by all fortunate enough to have a seat at the iconic London tournament, as the 22-year-old became the first player to do the Roland Garros and Queen’s Club double since his fellow Spanish icon Rafael Nadal back in 2008.

His record on grass is now a remarkable 29–3, with his 91 per-cent win rate the best any players has ever achieved on the surface, including grass court legends Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Bjorn Borg.

After admitting he came into Queen’s with low expectations after his incredible French Open final win just two weeks ago, Alcaraz’s decison to take a few days off with his friends in Ibiza prior to this event was the subject of heated debate in the build-up.

Yet as he got his hands on the magnificent silver torphy at the Queen’s Club once again, Alcaraz suggested that decision to take time away from the game after his Paris in against Jannik Sinner in the final was he key to his latest tournament win.

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“A lot of people ask me the same question: Are you going to go back?” said a smiling Alcaraz as he was asked if his sparkling form at Queen’s Club confirmed he was right to take a mini-holiday ahead of the tournament.

“I’m a player who needs days, days off, days to enjoy, days for myself to spend with my friends, with my family, just to turn off my mind. I need
that, and the good thing is that I know that.

“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, I mean, be more hungry to play again.

“So that was really helpful for me. I’m not going to say that I win the tournament because of Ibiza, but yeah, you know, after this tournament, I can’t go back home. I’m going to stay here in London, hopefully enjoy London a little bit.

“Let’s see how it’s gonna be the next days, but I’m going to have my days off to rest up, to enjoy, and then be back and preparing Wimbledon the best way possible.”

Member of Alcaraz’s team spoke out against his decision to go to Ibiza after he won the French Open last year, but it again proved to be an effective plan as he went on to defend his Wimbledon title.

He went on to suggest the plan to have time away from tennis also worked for him after he suffered a shock defeat at the Miami Open in March, as he has gone on a 27-1 winning run since then.

“Well, I had so much hate when I lost in Miami. Instead of practice after that, I took a break and I went to Cancun with my family,” he added.

“I had too much hate then, because a lot of people, you know, start to say, like, ‘what’s going on with this guy that he just lost in the first round, and he didn’t practice, he didn’t go to the court and keep practicing just to be better?’

“And I think that was the key, just to have five, six days off, not grabbing a racquet, not stepping on the court. Just go to vacation with my family, to turn off my mind, to think what should I have done better? And that was the key.

“It was after the vacation that I had in Cancun with my family, I just got the joy back, and I start to enjoy playing tennis again, to enjoy step on the court, competing again.

“And I think that was the key, to have my days with my family and realizing what is the most important thing for me, that I go there. I’m gonna say that.”

READ NEXT: How Sinner, Alcaraz, Djokovic and the other top 10 seeds prepared for Wimbledon

The post Carlos Alcaraz reveals the big secret to his success after stunning Queen’s Club win appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz became just the second player in men’s tennis history to win both Roland Garros and the Queen’s Club Championships in the same year after he defeated Jiri Lehecka.

The 2022 champion was made to work for his victory, winning the opening set 7-5 before losing the second set tie-break to set up a deciding third set.

But the Spaniard’s quality shone through, winning 6-2 in the final set to secure back-to-back tournament wins following his French Open victory just two weeks beforehand.

The dual triumph put him in an exclusive group of just two players to have won both Queen’s and Roland Garros in the same year, joining compatriot Nadal in having achieved that feat.

Speaking after his 18th consecutive win, the best streak of his career to date, Alcaraz took time to praise Lehecka, describing him as a “nightmare” to play against.

“It’s really special, this trophy, this tournament for me,” he said. “So I’m just happy to leave with this trophy once again.

“But I have to say to Jiri, incredible week. Honestly, your level is really, really high. I’m going to say it is a nightmare playing against you, that means how tough you are so great week. Great job. Keep it up for Wimbledon with your team.”

As for his own performance, the Wimbledon favourite said he arrived in London with no expectations.

“It’s been an incredible week, but I came without expectations at all,” the 22-year-old said. “Just came to play good tennis, just trying to be ready as soon as possible for the grass.

“I have to say, thank you to my team for the whole week. I am lucky to have my family, a lot of friends here that made me feel really comfortable out on court so without them, that wouldn’t be possible. So I have to say thank you to my team, to my family, to my friends and obviously all the people who support me during the whole week.”

Next up for Alcaraz is Wimbledon and a chance to win there for the third time in his career. On his chances, the Spaniard hoped to keep his “good feelings” going.

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“I’m super excited to play the first match on Centre Court when you know, once again, it’s going to be a really, really beautiful moment.

“I think this tournament and lifting this trophy, it was the best preparation that I could ask for. And I will try to keep the good work, keep the good feeling, and starting the tournament at Wimbledon the best way possible.

“It’s pretty long. Two weeks could be really, really long, but I will try to start the tournament in a good way, and let’s see how far I will be.”

 

 

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Alexander Bublik admits he nearly “called it quits” before joining an exclusive Halle Open club with his second triumph at the prestigious grass-court event.

World No 45 Bublik beat the likes of world No 1 Jannik Sinner and Karen Khachanov to reach the Halle final, where he beat third seed Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(4) to lift the title.

Triumph for the Kazakh cements an astonishing return to form for the 28-year-old, who had dropped outside of the top 80 of the ATP Rankings back in March.

However, Bublik won a challenger title at the Piemonte Open in May before a stunning run to the last eight of the French Open, his first ever Grand Slam singles quarter-final.

The Kazakh has cemented his return to form by winning the fifth ATP Tour title of his career, though he admitted he had been close to leaving the sport after a challenging few months.

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“It’s tough to speak,” said Bublik, speaking to Tennis TV.

“I had such tough months since last Wimbledon until probably this summer. I was close to calling it quit [sic] after Wimbledon because I was not enjoying it anymore.

“I promised my coach that I’d stay there, that I will keep practising, after Wimbledon I will make a decision if I need to take a couple of months off before trying to come back.

“Well, [now] this is happening. Quarters French, winner here – I have no words.”

Victory for Bublik seals his latest rise back up the ATP Rankings, with the Kazakh set to move up 15 places to world No 30 on Monday.

With Casper Ruud and Arthur Fils, both ranked above him, having withdrawn from Wimbledon, Bublik looks set to be the 28th seed at the All England Club, with action underway on June 30th.

That means he will be projected to face one of the top eight seeds in the third round, and the top seeds will likely want to avoid an early meeting against Bublik, who reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2023.

It is the second time that Bublik has lifted the Halle Open title, with the Kazakh having beaten Andrey Rublev to lift the title back in 2023.

And, the Kazakh is now one of just four men to have won multiple titles at the ATP 500 event.

Leading the way is tennis icon Roger Federer, whose record of 10 Halle Open titles is unlikely to ever be threatened.

Following on from Federer is former world No 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov on three titles, with Bublik now level with former world No 2 Tommy Haas on two titles at the tournament.

Bublik is currently set to play at the Eastbourne International, which is underway this coming week.

Read Next: Prize money & points won by Medvedev, Bublik, Sinner, Zverev & co in Halle

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The Berlin Tennis Open concluded on Sunday, with Marketa Vondrousova defeating Wang Xinyu to lift the title.

The WTA 500 event is one of the biggest and most prestigious events for women in the build-up to Wimbledon, but what prize money and ranking points were up for grabs?

Here, we take a look at what money and points the tournament’s biggest names will be taking home in 2025.

Prize money

For winning her third WTA Tour title, and her first since her stunning 2023 Wimbledon triumph, Vondrousova takes home an impressive €142,610 in prize money.

For her efforts, runner-up Xinyu takes home €87,825 after reaching the first WTA Tour singles final of her career.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed at the event, was beaten in the semi-final by Vondrousova, meaning she takes home €51,305 in prize money from the event.

Fellow semi-finalist Liudmila Samsonova, who was beaten by Xinyu in the last four, also takes home the same amount of prize money for her run.

Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina was beaten in the quarter-final by Sabalenka despite holding four match points.

The Kazakh has earned €24,950 for her efforts, as do fellow beaten quarter-finalists Ons Jabeur, Amanda Anisimova, and Paula Badosa.

The tournament saw several big casualties early on, with second seed Coco Gauff, third seed and defending champion Jessica Pegula, and fourth seed Jasmine Paolini all beaten in round two after opening byes.

Gauff, Pegula, and Paolini all earned €13,651 in prize money after their opening-match defeats in the German capital.

Also falling early was sixth seed Mirra Andreeva, beaten in round one by Magdalena Frech; the Russian receives just €9,829 for her efforts.

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Ranking points

After lifting the title, Vondrousova takes home a significant 500 WTA Ranking points, providing a big rankings boost.

Ranked 164th heading into the tournament, the Czech is set to surge up to world No 73 on Monday.

Meanwhile, Xinyu claims 325 points, and is currently projected to reach a new career-high of world No 32.

For their semi-final runs, world No 1 Sabalenka and 2021 Berlin champion Samsonova earn 195 ranking points.

That extends Sabalenka’s overall points total to 11,640, while Samsonova will move back up to world No 19 on Monday.

Beaten quarter-finalists Rybakina, Jabeur, Anisimova, and Badosa all receive 108 points for reaching the last eight.

Rybakina, Anisimova, and Badosa will maintain their current WTA Rankings on Monday, with Jabeur set to move back up two places to world No 59.

Having not played round-one matches, the trio of Gauff, Pegula, and Paolini all receive just one ranking point after losing their opening matches.

Paolini will be back up to world No 4 on Monday, with Zheng Qinwen dropping points after her withdrawal, while Gauff and Pegula remain as the world No 2 and No 3.

For her first-round exit, Andreeva is also awarded just one ranking point.

Read Next: Bad Homburg Open draw: Jessica Pegula avoids Iga Swiatek as prize money confirmed

The post Prize money & points won by Xinyu, Vondrousova, Sabalenka, Gauff & co at Berlin Tennis Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have warned that one player could prevent another dream final at Wimbledon with Toni Nadal suggesting the “great hitter” could cause heads to fall.

Men’s tennis top two players produced another enthralling chapter in their rivalry a fortnight ago in the French Open final as they slugged it out for five hours and 29 minutes.

World No 1 Sinner dominated early on as he stormed into a two-sets to love lead, but Alcaraz fought back and saved three match points in the fourth set before winning 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2) in the second longest Grand Slam final in the Open Era.

With the win, the Spaniard moved to five majors while Sinner remains on three and the pair have now shared the last six Grand Slams.

They will once again only be able to meet in the final at Wimbledon with Sinner the first name on the draw sheet as he is the world No 1 while Alcaraz will headline the bottom half of the draw.

But of course, there will be a lot of obstacles in the way and legendary coach Nadal – who mentored his nephew, the great Rafael Nadal, from a young age – named one player who could cause chaos.

“Normally, a Sinner-Alcaraz final [would be expected], but we’re talking about a particular Slam, there are always some surprises,” he told Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport.

“If you find a [Ben] Shelton or another great hitter on the day, important heads can fall. Grass is a treacherous surface, where the match can quickly get out of hand.”

The big-serving Shelton – who reached the fourth round at SW19 last year – is projected to be seeded 10th at Wimbledon and could meet one of Sinner and Alcaraz from the last 16 onwards.

He is 0-3 against Alcaraz, including a fourth-round defeat at this year’s French Open, while the American has won only one of his six clashes against Sinner and that was their maiden clash back in 2023.

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Nadal also discussed Sinner’s hopes at Wimbledon following his round of 16 defeat against Alexander Bublik at the Halle Open.

When asked if the three-time Grand Slam winner’s French Open final defeat had an impact on his performance in Germany, the Spaniard replied: “I don’t think so. It was a different situation, a different surface, a different player.

“Maybe Sinner still lacks a bit of consistency after the break, but let’s not forget that he has reached two finals, a Masters 1000 and a Slam since he came back.

“I don’t think this defeat on grass will undermine his path at Wimbledon or the rest of the season. Sinner will start again from here.”

The post Toni Nadal names ATP star who could stop a Jannik Sinner-Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon final appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has made no secret of his desire to try and catch the ‘Big 3’ in the chase to win Grand Slam titles and now his ambitious target has been given an endorsement by Toni Nadal.

Alcaraz won his fifth Grand Slam title at the tender age of 22 after a sensational win against Jannik Sinner in the French Open final.

The recent Netflix documentary on Alcaraz’s story so far revealed the drive from both him and the people around him to reach for the stars and try to match the remarkable records of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

The iconic trio are the only players to win 20 or more Grand Slam titles and while that target seems impossible to image for most, Alcaraz has made it clear that he has those numbers in his sights.

“Obviously, I keep thinking about Nole’s 24 Grand Slams, that’s clear,” said Alcaraz.

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“I’m a very ambitious guy and I always want to think big, and I dream big — obviously Djokovic’s 24 is a goal at the end of my career.

“It is something that is inevitable to think about. I am very competitive and that is also what drives me to the highest level to try to be at the same level as the Big Three. The truth is that I dream big.”

The notion that the records set by the ‘Big 3’ may be matched or bettered any time soon is hard to imagine, but Alcaraz’s ambitions have been given support by Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni.

Nadal’s record-breaking career was shaped by his uncle Toni, who was his long-time coach and mentor, and he has given his verdict on whether Alcaraz could match or even better the achievements of his nephew Rafael. Sinner will be a massive obstacle for Alcaraz to get through on Grand Slam stages for the next decade, but the rest of the leading players in the men’s game appear to be lagging behind the new ‘Big 2’.

“He is the tennis player with the best conditions in the world,” said Toni, as quoted by Marca.

“He is fast, he hits very hard with his forehand and backhand and then he has the advantage of not having coincided with the best Federer, the best Djokovic. He has a great rival who is Sinner, but the rest are very affordable.”

“Equal Rafa? Or maybe he will surpass him. I’m not a fortune teller. But he has the conditions.”

Alcaraz will get a chance to win a sixth Grand Slam title when he defends his Wimbledon title in a tournament that gets underway on June 30.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic sends Carlos Alcaraz warning as he addresses prospect of Spaniard breaking his records

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World No 1 Jannik Sinner has been handed a pretty straightforward path for his title defence at the Halle Open with several players struggling for form in his bracket.

The ATP 500 event will be Sinner’s first tournament since his devastating French Open final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz and he will start his campaign in Germany against a yet-to-be-decided qualifier.

He will then face either Alexandre Muller or Alexander Bublik – the man he demolished 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 in the Roland Garros quarter-final – in the second round before a potential meeting with seventh seed Tomas Machac or Hubert Hurkacz.

Machac exited the French Open in the first round after retiring with a back injury while he also retired from his opener at the Geneva Open before the clay-court Grand Slam.

Hurkacz lost in the first round in Paris and then won his opener at the Libema Open this week, but then also pulled out ahead of his second-round clash due to injury.

Sinner is projected to meet fourth seed Andrey Rublev in the semi-final and the Russian is another who lost in straight sets against the Italian in Paris.

Three-time Grand Slam winner Sinner won the title last year when he beat Hurkacz in straight sets.

Rublev also starts against a qualifier, but he will likely have to get past Tomas Etcheverry in the second round and possibly sixth seed Karen Khachanov in the last eight.

World No 3 Alexander Zverev is seeded second and leads the bottom half of the draw with his first match against American Marcos Giron before a possible clash against Jan-Lennard Struff or Lorenzo Sonego.

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The German is projected to meet sixth seed Ugo Humbert in the quarter-final, but the Frenchman faces Denis Shapovalov in the first round and one of Joao Fonseca and Flavio Cobolli in the second round.

Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in the bottom half and the pair have struggled for form this year as the latter has slipped to No 11 in the ATP Rankings while Tsitispas is outside of the top 20.

Third seed Medvedev starts against Daniel Altmaier while Tsitsipas faces Luciano Darderi before a possible encounter against Francisco Cerundolo.

Projected Quarter-Finals

Sinner v Machac
Rublev v Khachanov
Cerundolo v Medvedev
Humbert v Zverev

The Halle Open is the final warm-up event for most top players before Wimbledon and Sinner has already assured of not only being the top seed at the grass-court Grand Slam, but he will remain at No 1 in the ATP Rankings after the tournament while Zverev will be seeded third.

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Aryna Sabalenka will face a qualifier in her opening match at the Berlin Tennis Open, but her path will get a lot more difficult after that while Elena Rybakina and Madison Keys have been handed a difficult first-round match.

World No 1 Sabalenka headlines the top half of the draw and she has a bye into the second round along with Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Jasmine Paolini while she will start her campaign against a qualifier.

Rybakina and Zheng, who competed at the Queen’s Club Championship this week, will square off in the first round and the winner is projected to face Sabalenka in the quarter-final.

World No 4 Paolini and Grand Slam winners Keys and Marketa Vondrousova are also in the top half, but they are in the bottom bracket and the latter two will meet first up and the winner will take on either Diana Schnaider or Donna Vekic in the second round.

Fourth seed Paolini has a bye followed by a second-round clash against a qualifier before she meets the winner of the Keys/Vondrousova/Schnaider/Vekic encounter.

Zheng and Keys, though, are still alive at the Queen’s Club Championship as they will feature in the semi-finals on Saturday so don’t be too surprised if either or both withdraw from the Berlin event.

Zheng defeated Emma Raducanu in the quarter-final in London and the latter was also due to play in Berlin next week after receiving a wildcard, but withdrew as her back injury flared up again.

Former world No 4 Belinda Bencic was also due to feature at the WTA 500 tournament as she used her protected ranking to enter, but she was also a last-minute withdrawal.

Newly-crowned French Open champion Coco Gauff leads the bottom half and she faces either world No 16 Daria Kataskina or a qualifier in the round of 32 while eighth seed Paola Badosa is her projected quarter-final opponent.

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Badosa, though, has to get past highly-rated German wildcard Eva Lys in the first round and either Emma Navarro or Marta Kostyuk in the second round.

Third seed Pegula and sixth seed Mirra Andreeva are big names in the top half of the bottom bracket and the former will start her campaign against either Naomi Osaka or Liudmila Samsonova.

Teenager Andreeva starts against Magdalena Frech before meeting either Amanda Anisimova or Bianca Andreesca.

Of course, with Sabalenka in the top half and Gauff in the bottom half, there can only be a rematch of the recent French Open final between the pair in the final in Berlin.

Projected Quarter-Finals Based On Seeds:

Sabalenka v Zheng
Paolini v Keys
Andreeva v Pegula
Badosa v Gauff

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Carlos Alcaraz will look to make a swift transition to grass courts after his heroics at the French Open and he will face a familiar face when he arrives at the Queen’s Club in London.

Alcaraz’s remarkable five-set win against Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros has been hailed as one of the greatest tennis matches ever played.

The Spaniard’s fifth Grand Slam title was an emotionally and physically draining experience, so the 22-year-old decided to take some time away from the game before he turns his attention to the defence of his Wimbledon title.

So he will be short of grass court practice heading into the ATP 500 event at the Queen’s Club, where he won the title in 2023.

That could give his first couple of opponents a chance to cause an upset to match Jack Draper’s win against Alcaraz in this tournament last year.

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The draw has been made for the 2025 HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club and No 1 seed Alcaraz will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in his opening match on Tuesday.

He will fancy his chances of getting through against an opponent who is better suited to clay courts, but the challenge is likely to be stepped up after that.

Big-serving Ben Shelton has a game that should be perfect for grass and he could be firing balls in Alcaraz’s direction in the second round at Queen’s Club.

The world No 2 also has the dangerous Holger Rune in his section of the draw, as well as former Queen’s Club champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Alcaraz was criticised by his own coach and manager in the recent Netflix documentary focused on his story so far after he opted to go on a break to Ibiza after he won the 2024 French Open.

He silenced those doubts by winning Wimbledon last summer, so coach Juan Carlos Ferrero appears to be more relaxed about his decision to go back to Ibiza in recent days.

“He’s switching off. Yesterday I told him to have a good time, that he deserved it, but to remember that he’s a tennis player at all times,” said Ferrero.

“We already know what he’s like. He’s doing well and when he comes back, he comes back in a good place, refreshed.

“It’s not the word party anymore, it’s the disconnection from being with his friends, from not thinking about tennis and from being a normal 22-year-old.

“He does go on vacation, but only occasionally. He’s not there every day, as people think.”

Draper is the No 2 seed at Queen’s and will take on American Jenson Brooksby in his opening match, with Frances Tiafoe in the same section of the draw as the Brit.

Taylor Fritz is also lurking in Draper’s section, with the Brit set to come under the spotlight in his homeland like never before this summer.

Draper’s impressive rise up the ATP Rankings will hype up the speculation around Draper and he will be the focus of huge media attention.

READ NEXT: Location of Carlos Alcaraz’s French Open party is revealed as coach gives his reaction

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Novak Djokovic has opened up about never being “as loved as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal” as he was seen as “the third guy” who broke the pair’s dominance in men’s tennis.

Federer and Nadal initially formed the Big Two as they swept all before them and when Djokovic emerged as a challenger, Fedal fans did not take too kindly to him.

But even the Serbian’s harshest critics were forced to accept that the Big Two have turned into the Big Three as the trio ruled the ATP Tour for more than two decades.

Djokovic, though, has won the race to be the greatest tennis player of all time as he holds most of the major records in tennis, including most Grand Slams won by a man (24), most ATP 1000 titles won (40) and and most weeks spent at No 1 in the ATP Rankings (428).

Despite his fierce battles with Federer and Nadal – who have retired – there has always been a mutual respect as he told former Croatian footballer and coach Slaven Bilic on Failure of Champions: “Just because someone is my biggest rival doesn’t mean I wish them harm, hate them, or want to do anything else on the court to defeat them. We fought for the win, and the better player won.”

He added: “I’ve never said a single bad word about them and never will. I looked up to them and still do, but I’ve always gotten along better with Nadal.”

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But the “hurt” of not being accepted early on in his career is something that he didn’t shake off easily, as he revealed that “people didn’t like” the way he acted and the fact that he ended the Federer and Nadal era.

“I acted and still felt like an unwanted child,” the former world No 1 said. “I asked myself why that was. It hurt me. Then I thought the fans would accept me if I acted differently, but that wasn’t the case either.

“I was never as loved as Federer and Nadal because I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was the little guy, the third guy who came along and said: ‘I’m going to be No 1’. Many people didn’t like that.”

But staying true to his values paid off in the end as he added: “I am a man with many flaws, of course. Nevertheless, I have always tried to live with heart and good intentions and, ultimately, to be myself.”

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