Alcaraz defeats de Minaur: Queen’s Club Championships FINAL: Carlos Alcaraz clinched his maiden title on grass courts. The 20-year old sailed past Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 to win the Queen’s Club Championships title on Sunday, 25th June 2023. With the win the Spaniard also reclaimed the top spot in the ATP Rankings displacing Novak Djokovic. He is all set to enter Wimbledon as the top seed.
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“It means a lot to me. Being able to win this amazing tournament in my first time that I played here for me is fantastic,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “To know that I’m [capable of] a good level on grass, obviously [to be] champion of every tournament feels special.”
Alcaraz has now won five ATP Tour titles this season, tying Daniil Medvedev for the Tour-lead. Entering the week, he owned just a 4-2 record on grass. But after needing a final-set tie-break to escape Arthur Rinderknech in his opening match, the 20-year-old surged to the crown without losing a set the rest of the week.
Alcaraz won after three hours and 40 minutes despite needing to save two match points. The top seed claimed a break in the first set at 4-4, when De Minaur missed a running forehand long. Alcaraz had his upper right leg taped after the set, but showed no physical decline as the match wore on.
Alcaraz however is not overjoyed after “Of course, recovering the No. 1 before Wimbledon, it gives you extra motivation, it gives you extra confidence coming into Wimbledon. But it doesn’t change too much if I play Wimbledon as the No. 2 or the No. 1.”
“The chances don’t change so much. I mean, Novak is coming to Wimbledon,” Alcaraz said. “Right now I’m feeling better than the beginning of the week, that’s obvious.
Carlos Alcaraz defeats Alex de Minaur in Queen’s Club Championship final, wins maiden title on grass