Will Alcaraz confirm his qualities on grass? His opening match at Queen’s Club is fast approaching

Despite his age, he has already achieved great things on clay and on hard surfaces. Carlos Alcaraz won the Grand Slam title at the US Open last year and this year he defended his clay triumphs in Madrid and Barcelona. The 20-year-old Spaniard hasn’t done much on grass. On the contrary. Will he confirm his quality on the fastest surface?

Compared to his three tournament triumphs on hard surfaces, including one Grand Slam, and his seven titles on clay, Carlos Alcaraz’s achievements on grass are very modest.

And no wonder, he has played only eight matches on grass to date. Six of those were last year. But last year’s Wimbledon eight-final suggested that Alcaraz need not fear the traditional surface. What can he do on the fastest surface this year as a world number two?

Queen’s Club

Carlos Alcaraz will be one of the stars of the traditional tournament at Queen’s Club. He arrived in London on Saturday and finally got to practice on a surface he doesn’t have at home. In his preparation, he preferred a hard surface, but practice makes perfect.

“The most challenging part of playing on grass is being able to move well,” he hinted at possible pitfalls in an interview with the tournament’s official website. On the other hand, Alcaraz is looking forward to playing on the net and playing an aggressive approach to tennis. Both are inherent to him.

The draw is playing into the hands of the Spaniard. He is not expected to be significantly threatened by the Frenchman Fils in the first round, and even the winner of the Jiri Lehecka – Davidovich Fokina duel should not be a big obstacle in the following encounter. The best, at least on paper, could meet Alcaraz in the semi-finals. There comes into consideration the fresh winner of the Stuttgart tournament Frances Tiafoe.

Alcaraz is a long way from the biggest favourites on the London grass. He can only meet home champion Andy Murray or tournament runner-up Holger Rune in the final.

Finally..

Alcaraz will have a great opportunity to test his game on grass at the Queen’s Club. An acceptable draw and overall current form make him one of the big favourites for the prestigious tournament.

Will he make it to the final against local icon Andy Murray, or will someone else surprise him in the tournament? There are plenty of very good opponents at this event.

Sources: ATP, Queen’s Club