Life remains the same for Alcaraz

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Carlos Alcaraz has switched to survival mode automatically. He needed it in his first match on grass after his success at Roland Garros and facing a not-so-easy surface transition. In his first match, what mattered was the victory and getting the feel and habits for Wimbledon. Therefore, he struggled more than expected against Adam Walton, but he managed to resist and make the most of his opportunities, just as he did a few days ago against Jannik Sinner in the Paris final. The El Palmar native was not excellent, but he started his Queen's ATP journey with a win by 6-4, 7-6(4) after an hour and 44 minutes of play.

Nine days after one of the greatest comebacks remembered in the tennis world, Carlos Alcaraz returned to work after conquering his second Roland Garros, his fifth Grand Slam, and after well-deserved days of disconnection in Ibiza. So, once he had assimilated everything that happened in that final against Jannik Sinner, the Spanish player had to switch gears, start the grass court season, and focus on his upcoming defense at Wimbledon.

Before heading to the prestigious London tournament, the player from Murcia made a prior stop at Queen's, a tournament he already won in 2023. Furthermore, he would face a different opponent than originally planned. Alejandro Davidovich withdrew from the tournament last minute, so instead of facing the Malaga native, Alcaraz made his debut against Adam Walton, ranked 86th in the ATP ranking.

"We came here with little time, but with eagerness and excitement," said Samu López the day before, who will act as coach until Juan Carlos Ferrero rejoins at Wimbledon. At the start of the match, the lack of practice on a surface that is not easy to master was noticeable, where points are much shorter and faster, and the importance of serving well and having a good wrist technique is crucial.

Alcaraz, improving throughout

Moreover, his opponent had already played the qualifying rounds, so he had spent more time on court and seemed more familiar with the grass. Games went on, and both held their serves without any threat of a break. However, in the seventh game, the Australian struggled with his service, opening the door for El Palmar's player to break for the first time, and the world number two did not miss the chance. It didn't matter that it was a first-round match at an ATP 500 event; Alcaraz celebrated it, clenched his fist, and looked at his team as if he were still in the Roland Garros final.

His shots were the same as the ones that sealed his historic comeback at the Philippe Chatrier, and Walton, defending two set points, couldn't do much against them, allowing the Spanish player to close the first set at 6-4.

The second set started similar to the first. Few exchanges, a lack of rhythm, both players secure on serve, and limited chances on the return. It was evident that it was the first test on the demanding and technical grass, leading to a high number of unforced errors. However, Walton didn't give up and took a 5-4 lead; Alcaraz couldn't relax excessively if he didn't want his first grass match to be prolonged. He faced a slight setback, and the Australian had two set points. Yet, the world number two reacted in time, just as he did against Sinner, resisted, and saved those two points to level at 5-5.

Even so, Walton's morale remained high as he secured a tiebreak. The Spanish player exhibited his prowess, a quick volley drop shot, to settle the second set in the tiebreak. The parity shown throughout the match continued, but when it all had to be decided, when one had to step forward, Alcaraz emerged, indifferent to transitions or processes, only understanding the meaning of victory and claimed it at 6-4, 7-6(4).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La vida sigue igual para Alcaraz