HSBC Championships 2025: Carlos Alcaraz up and running on the grass as he reaches the second round at The Queen’s Club
• 3 MINUTE READ
Just nine days on from his unforgettable comeback victory over Jannik Sinner in the Roland Garros final, Carlos Alcaraz returned to the match court to earn his first win of the 2025 grass court season.
Alcaraz had been scheduled to play fellow Spaniard and friend Alexander Davidovich Fokina in his opener at the HSBC Championships before he withdrew at the last minute due to illness.
Instead, the five-time Grand Slam champion took on a spirited lucky loser in Adam Walton - eventually coming through in a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory in an hour and 44 minutes.
Alcaraz will be hoping to build on today’s match throughout the rest of the tournament as he looks to reclaim the trophy he lifted back in 2023. He'll face compatriot Jaume Munar in the next round after his opponent Jordan Thompson retired in their first round match.
“I’m really happy to be back here in London, playing again on grass”, a smiling Alcaraz said following his match on the Andy Murray Arena.
“The start of the tournament is never easy, the first match on grass is never easy to get used to the competition again, the grass again. I just want to say thank you (to the crowd) for helping me a little bit."
I have to say thank you for the really warm welcome back here in London once again - I feel at home, I feel loved.
Coming in off the back of winning a Grand Slam final that will be forever etched in the history books, the 22-year-old enjoyed some time off to re-group ahead of kick-starting his grass court season campaign.
"I had some days off that I made the most of just to reset my mind a bit, rest up physically but my mind was right here.
"After the French Open, to start the grass season is just a week so I didn’t have too much time - I’d love to have more time to recover and realise I won the French Open. It was great to have a few days back home and just a few days to get ready for here."
The crowds were out in full-force on the Andy Murray Arena as everyone looked to catch a glimpse of the world No.2 in action in West London.
Despite being his first match on the grass this season, Alcaraz looked comfortable from the off on his return to Queen’s, particularly on serve where he dropped just seven points across the opener.
Meanwhile, lucky loser Walton came out looking equally as confident - rattling through his opening three service games with little trouble.
The 2023 HSBC Championships winner continued to ask the question of the Aussie and eventually caught a sight of his first break points at 3-3 as he looked to make his move.
With two having come and gone the top seed made it third time lucky as he launched a rocket of a forehand into the corner of the court which Walton returned into the net.
It was a tighter contest in the second set with the Australian raising his level in an attempt to even the tie. The world No.86 soon found his rhythm behind his first serve, landing 72% compared to just 46% in the first as he racked up some easy points.
At 5-4, the world No.2 faced his first sign of danger after a double fault and a loose forehand into the net handed Walton a 40-15 lead. The Spaniard is notoriously clutch in the pressure moments, having saved three championship points against Sinner on his way to defending the Roland Garros title just over a week ago.
A couple of clinical serves led Alcaraz to hold firm before eventually forcing a tie-break, where the top seed made the faster start - hitting a flawless backhand volley at the net at 4-4 to take the mini-break.
The former champion then went on to put away a final forehand winner - his 34th winner of the match to close out a win on his HSBC Championships return.
Alcaraz will face Munar in the second round on Thursday 19 June.
British No.1 Jack Draper also won in his opening round match at the HSBC Championships - read more here.
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