Carlos Alcaraz secures maiden grass-court title at Queen's Club, returns to World No.1

By India Today Sports DeskCarlos Alcaraz clinched his first-ever grass-court title and reclaimed the World No. 1 rank with a commanding victory at the Queen’s Club.

The top-seeded Spaniard Alcaraz defeated Australian Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Alcaraz’s ascent to the summit of men’s tennis will be official on Monday when he surpasses Novak Djokovic to become the new No. 1.

Alcaraz’s triumph at The Queen’s Club marks his fifth ATP Tour title of the season, a feat that puts him on par with Daniil Medvedev for the most titles won this year.

Although grass courts have not been his forte, with a modest 4-2 record entering the tournament, the 20-year-old prodigy displayed remarkable resilience. After narrowly escaping a tough challenge from Arthur Rinderknech in the opening match, Alcaraz stormed through the rest of the tournament without dropping a set.

The final between Alcaraz and de Minaur showcased a modern grass-court spectacle, with both players engaging in fierce baseline battles. Rather than relying on the traditional serve-and-volley tactics, they relentlessly pushed each other to the limits, chasing down shots from corner to corner.

The match lasted one hour and 39 minutes, considerably shorter than their marathon encounter during last year’s Barcelona semi-finals, which Alcaraz won after an arduous three hours and 40 minutes.

The key to Alcaraz’s victory laid in his efficiency on break points. He saved the two break points he faced and capitalised on the two opportunities that came his way. In the first set, Alcaraz secured the decisive break at 4-4 when De Minaur faltered with a long forehand.

Despite receiving medical treatment for his upper right leg after the set, Alcaraz showed no signs of decline as the match progressed. De Minaur’s double fault handed Alcaraz the lone break of the second set, sealing the championship for the top seed.