“We have encountered nothing new, nothing that surprises us,” Carlos Alcaraz’s co-trainer has a stern warning for opponents as grass season begins

Lopez gave a warning to Alcaraz's rivals that the youngster, like last year, would be walking onto the court to conquer.

“We have encountered nothing new, nothing that surprises us,” Carlos Alcaraz’s co-trainer has a stern warning for opponents as grass season begins

Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Imago)

After his maiden Roland Garros victory, Carlos Alcaraz will kick-start his campaign on grass courts when he takes on Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday (June 18) at the Queen’s Club Championships. Ahead of his match, his co-trainer, Samuel Lopez, talked about the only area of concern for the player. 

Alcaraz’s coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, won’t be accompanying him in the Queen’s Club Championships as he is spending his vacation for a week. Lopez, who has coaching duty at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy, and joins Spanish player Pablo Carreno on the circuit, will be with Alcaraz this time. 

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Lopez gave a warning to Alcaraz’s rivals that the youngster, like last year, would be walking onto the court to conquer. The coach believes Alcaraz just needs to adapt himself on the grass court and one win on the surface would be enough for him to do that. 

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We have not found anything new, nothing that surprises us. Here, on the grass, a period of adaptation is needed. Without a doubt, winning a game will help us adapt.
Samuel Lopez told Diario AS

At the Queen’s Club Championships, the 21-year-old will be looking for his third title of the season. The Roland Garros was Alcaraz’s second victory after the Indian Wells Masters. The win also made the Spaniard the youngest player to win on all three surfaces at the Grand Slam level. 

Carlos Alcaraz won the Queen’s Club Championships last year 

Carlos Alcaraz had a memorable season on the grass courts of Britain last year because he won back-to-back titles. After his semifinal loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros, Alcaraz beat Alex de Minaur in the Queen’s Club Championships final in straight sets. 

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via Imago)

The El Palmar native then made the biggest upset by overcoming Djokovic in the Wimbledon final in five sets to lift his first title in the tournament. In the current tournament, however, Alcaraz faces a tough draw. Even if he gets past Francisco Cerundolo in the first round, his next opponents could be Jack Draper, Mariano Navone, or Tommy Paul. 

Alcaraz has lost just two matches on grass and holds a 16-2 win-loss record. He is also on a 12-0 streak on the surface since last year’s Queen’s Club Championships. This season, he is on a 25 – 5 record. After Wimbledon, the 21-year-old will team up with Rafael Nadal for doubles matches at the Paris Olympics.

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