Beneath Carlos Alcaraz’s cheerful demeanor lies a resilience that was evident in his recent Roland Garros final comeback. Despite the headlines focusing on his celebrations and brief rest in Ibiza, this toughness is visible at the HSBC Championships. Ranked No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz is nearing another milestone at Queen’s Club. A second-round victory against Jaume Munar on Thursday would extend his winning streak to 15 matches, marking a career-high.
Alcaraz prepared by training with American Jenson Brooksby for 40 minutes under the London sun on Court 7, which lacks public viewing access. His intensity was apparent from the start as he engaged in blood flow restriction training using compression bands around his thighs. After greeting Brooksby, Alcaraz began with a light warm-up but soon intensified his session with deep groundstrokes.
Coach Samuel Lopez watched closely and offered guidance while Alcaraz practiced crosscourt forehands and backhands before focusing on serve and return drills, crucial for grass courts.
Although serious during practice, Alcaraz showed flair with deft drop shots off Brooksby’s serves toward the end of their session. While he typically ends sessions with tennis golf, Thursday saw him concentrating solely on preparation.
Following title wins at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome and Roland Garros, Alcaraz returned to London aiming for a new personal record: a 15-match win streak. Debuting as champion in 2023, he holds a 7-1 record at the ATP 500 event according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He leads Munar 2-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, all previous matches being played on clay.