“Don’t Pay Attention,” Carlos Alcaraz Shares How It Feels to Join Rafael Nadal in Elite List After Queen’s Win

World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz lifted the Queen's Club title for the second time after the 2023 season.

“Don’t Pay Attention,” Carlos Alcaraz Shares How It Feels to Join Rafael Nadal in Elite List After Queen’s Win

Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

No player on the ATP tour has won more titles than Carlos Alcaraz this season. The Spaniard, on Sunday (June 22), lifted his fifth title of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships.

He was pitted against Jiri Lehecka in the final- his sixth this year. Alcaraz, with a 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 scoreline, became a grass-court champion for the fourth time in his career. He is now the third man from Spain to reach the four titles tally in grass events after his idol, Rafael Nadal, and Feliciano Lopez.

Well, honestly, I don’t pay so much attention on that statistics. Obviously, once I know them, obviously it’s pretty good, I’m not gonna lie, being the third Spanish player to achieve that. Achieve four tournaments on grass, I think it’s great to be with Rafa, to be with Feli, such great players from our country.

Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference

What’s more interesting about this is that the 14-time French Open champion won his fourth grass-court title at the age of 29, while Lopez lifted his at 37. Alcaraz is only 22.

I have done it in just 22. Sometimes you have to sit down and think a little bit about it and realize, okay, this is a great thing, and I appreciate that.

Carlos Alcaraz added

Alcaraz improved his head-to-head record over the Chilean ace to 2-1. This was their second meeting on grass following the round of 16 of 2023 Queen’s which Alcaraz captured by beating Alex de Minaur.

It was Alcaraz’s first title on grass and a few weeks later, he doubled that tally by denying Novak Djokovic the Calendar Grand Slam with a thrilling five-set win in the Wimbledon final. Last year, although the Murcia native succumbed to defeat in the second round of the Queen’s Club, he recorded his second consecutive win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the Wimbledon final.

Carlos Alcaraz makes his feelings known on his serves after Queen’s victory

Carlos Alcaraz is on a 18-match winning streak and he will hope to win seven more matches on the trot to defend his Wimbledon crown. At Wimbledon, Alcaraz also wishes to serve the way he did during the Queen’s event.

Carlos Alcaraz Roland Garros
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Roland Garros)

Following his match against compatriot Jaume Munar in the second round, the five-time Grand Slam champion was disappointed with his service and worked on it a lot to improve it. And the result?

He ended up hitting 15 aces in his semifinal clash with compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut. In the final, it was even better, for he smashed 18 of them.

Frankly, now I know how John Isner and Reilly Opelka feel when they play. It has been a great improvement today. A big effort, because when you play against a great player with a great serve, your serve also needs to be good.

Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference

Before Queen’s, Alcaraz won back-to-back clay-court titles, in Rome and Paris, by beating World No.1 Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz also narrowed the gap on the rankings table as he now has 9,300 points, while Sinner sits on the top with 10,430 points.

Before Rome, Alcaraz had reached the final of the Barcelona Open (lost to Holger Rune) and won the Monte Carlo Masters. In February, he became a champion at the Rotterdam Open, his first victory in an indoor hard-court event.

Alcaraz will now hope to complete the Channel Slam for two consecutive seasons. The grass-court Major starts on June 30 and Alcaraz will be the second seed and will be projected to face first seed Sinner in the championship match.

Also read: (Video) Maria Sakkari and Yulia Putintseva Involved in a Heated Confrontation at Bad Homburg