Carlos Alcaraz: Is the King of Queen’s a Wimbledon contender?

Not net-shy: At Queen’s Club, Alcaraz showcased qualities that bring success on grass, including a sense of assurance when volleying. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Honing his craft: Aware of how important it is to move well on grass, the Spaniard has worked tirelessly to adapt his footwork to the surface. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Clay-court specialists of a certain vintage had a pet phrase for the period between Roland Garros and Wimbledon, when they were leaving their beloved dirt and attempting to find their feet on the lush lawns. 

“Grass is for cows,” they would say, repeating an expression reportedly coined by Spain’s Manuel Santana, who ironically won the Wimbledon men’s singles title in 1966. 

It was a line many Spanish players turned to in the 1980s and 90s — and despite Conchita Martinez’s triumph in the women’s singles in 1994, it wasn’t until Rafael Nadal mastered Wimbledon’s Centre Court in 2008 and 2010 that Spanish players began to look at playing on grass as an opportunity and not an obligation. 

Garbine Muguruza’s success in 2017 furthered this belief, and so the idea of a Spanish top seed at Wimbledon is no longer unimaginable. Especially after Wimbledon moved from its grass-weighted seeding formula to a system based solely on the rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz, the men’s No. 1 seed at next week’s Championships, isn’t a clay-court specialist by any means, but he is still discovering his game on grass. 

Before last week’s Queen’s Club Championships, the 20-year-old had played just six matches on the surface — all of them at the All England Club across two Wimbledon appearances.

Difficult start

Alcaraz’s first grass-court match outside Wimbledon proved challenging. He had to fight back from a set down to beat Arthur Rinderknech, a 6’5” Frenchman ranked in the mid-80s. 

In his first appearance since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semifinals, Alcaraz faced difficulties in dealing with Rinderknech’s big serve and net coverage. “I wasn’t able to practise too much at home as we have no grass courts,” he said. “It’s tough playing here but I enjoy playing on grass. I would say I’m going to be better in the next round.”

Alcaraz lived up to his word, growing in confidence on the surface and winning the next four matches without dropping a set to secure the prestigious Queen’s Club title. “It means a lot to have my name on the trophy,” he said. “It was special to play…