Carlos Alcaraz, the electrifying Spanish tennis sensation, has ignited the 2025 grass-court season with a thrilling 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over Australian lucky loser Adam Walton in the first round of the Queen’s Club Championships on June 17, 2025. The triumph, his first competitive match since a historic five-and-a-half-hour Roland Garros final win over Jannik Sinner, extended Alcaraz’s winning streak to 14 matches, tying his career-best mark set in 2022 and 2023. As the 22-year-old World No. 2 eyes a new personal record and a second Queen’s title, his performance in London signals his intent to dominate the road to Wimbledon, where he aims for a third consecutive crown.
The match against Walton was no walkover. Alcaraz, originally set to face compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, learned of the late switch to World No. 86 Walton only after his warm-up. “I realized that I was going to play against Adam after my warm-up,” Alcaraz said, acknowledging the Australian’s grass-court sharpness. “He has played a few matches already before this one. I think he played really great tennis.” Walton, fresh from qualifying rounds, pushed Alcaraz to the brink, earning two set points in the second set. Yet, Alcaraz’s resilience shone through, as he unleashed a clutch wide serve and a blistering forehand to force a tiebreak, where a pinpoint drop shot at 4-4 and a ripping forehand winner sealed the one-hour, 44-minute battle. “I’m really happy with the performance I had today,” he added, relishing his return to grass. “I feel great, I feel super happy to be back on grass. It’s a special surface, a special place to me.”
This victory marks Alcaraz’s 14th consecutive win, a streak that began with six straight triumphs at the Italian Open, where he defeated Sinner in the final, followed by seven at Roland Garros and now his Queen’s opener. The run ties his previous 14-match streaks: in 2022, he won Barcelona, Madrid, and reached the French Open quarterfinals, and in 2023, he claimed Queen’s, Wimbledon, and reached the Canadian Open quarterfinals. “One more win needed to get a new career-best winning streak!” a fan posted online, capturing the excitement around Alcaraz’s chance to break his record against Jaume Munar in the second round on June 19. With 38 wins and four titles in 2025, including Monte-Carlo, Rome, Rotterdam, and Roland Garros, Alcaraz leads the ATP Tour in victories, showcasing his dominance across surfaces.
The Queen’s Club Championships, an ATP 500 event, hold special significance for Alcaraz. His 2023 title, where he defeated Alex de Minaur in the final, propelled him to his first Wimbledon crown and the World No. 1 ranking. “I can’t wait to get back on the grass at The Queen’s Club,” Alcaraz said in November 2024, reflecting on how his 2023 triumph “gave me the belief to go on and win Wimbledon for the first time.” His 6-1 record at Queen’s, per the ATP Win/Loss Index, underscores his grass-court prowess, though last year’s second-round loss to Jack Draper, now the No. 2 seed, serves as a reminder of the challenges ahead. Alcaraz’s draw includes potential clashes with big-serving Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals or Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov in the semifinals, setting the stage for a grueling path to the title.
Alcaraz’s journey to this point has been a whirlwind. After his epic French Open victory, described as “one of the greatest finals ever played, in any sport” by *The Guardian*, he took a brief holiday in Ibiza to recharge. “In these nine days I have done everything: rest up, practising, playing a match again,” he said, highlighting his seamless transition to grass. His ability to save three championship points against Sinner in Paris, coupled with his 5-0 record in Grand Slam finals, has cemented his status as a generational talent. At 22 years and 34 days, he’s the third-youngest man to win five majors, trailing only Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal.
The Queen’s field is stacked, with Draper upsetting Jenson Brooksby, Corentin Moutet stunning third seed Taylor Fritz, and Arthur Rinderknech ousting Ben Shelton. Yet, Alcaraz’s blend of athleticism, shot-making, and mental fortitude makes him the man to beat. As he chases a new win-streak milestone and a second Queen’s title, his infectious smile and swashbuckling style continue to captivate fans. “The level you have is amazing,” Alcaraz told Sinner after their Paris epic, a sentiment that echoes his own relentless pursuit of greatness on the pristine lawns of London.
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