Fresh from his epic victory at Stade Roland Garros, Carlos Alcaraz has landed in London to set the stage for the 2025 Queen’s Club Championships.
The Spanish player, who secured his fifth Grand Slam win in Paris last week, was seen practicing on the courts recently as he prepares to make another bid on the grass courts. The event gets underway on June 16, with Alcaraz set as the first seed in the draw.
Carlos Alcaraz Returns to London After 2023 Queen’s Club Victory
Alcaraz, ranked No. 2 in the world, made headlines after returning from two sets down to beat top seed Jannik Sinner in a thrilling French Open final.
The five-hour, 29-minute battle was the longest men’s singles final in Roland Garros history and was a successful title defense for Alcaraz, who initially won the Coupe des Mousquetaires in 2024.
To reach the final, his process involved victories over Giulio Zeppieri, Fábián Marozsán, Damir Džumhur, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, and Lorenzo Musetti. Even after the career-defining win, Alcaraz’s camp had initially been hesitant about his participation in Queen’s, referencing the physical and mental strains of having played a marathon final.
“Wimbledon remains the main goal,” his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, told Spanish media, explaining that they had been taking a cautious approach in the period after the French Open and they would only proceed with the grass-court schedule if Alcaraz recovered adequately, both physically and mentally.
Alcaraz followed his traditional post-clay break by having a brief vacation in Ibiza, Spain, his favorite place to recharge before adapting to grass.
“Ibiza 2025”
📸 | sergioregui via instagram pic.twitter.com/UFsLTXTTIw
— Carlos Alcaraz Brasil (@carlosalcarazbr) June 14, 2025
Alcaraz’s training at Queen’s Club was confirmed in a clip of the Spaniard training on the pristine grass courts. Speaking at his pre-tournament press conference in London, Alcaraz revealed aspects of his Ibiza break before beginning the grass swing.
“I went to Ibiza again. It was fun, but honestly, I was there more mentally than physically. I had fun, just three nights, three days, and I think that was more than enough. … The craziest thing was probably staying out really late. I danced a bit, but nothing more than what a normal person would do,” Alcaraz explained.
Alcaraz opened up about taking time out, saying: “It’s kind of the middle of the season. After the clay season, which is very intense, I think it’s the perfect time to get away.”
“My friends go every year, so I go too. It doesn’t matter where. The point is to switch off mentally, recharge physically, and come back ready for the grass season. After such a great but intense few weeks, having time to disconnect and have fun is really important for me.”
This is Alcaraz’s third Queen’s Club appearance, having won the title in 2023. The 22-year-old will face fellow countryman Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a first-round encounter. While they have met twice previously, with Alcaraz coming out on top both times, their Queen’s Club meeting will be their first grass-court encounter.
The two last faced each other in Monte Carlo earlier this year, where Alcaraz took a straight-sets victory, 7-6(2), 6-4 in the semifinal. The match winner will progress to take on either Jordan Thompson or Jaume Munar in the second round.
