Where will Carlos Alcaraz play next? All you need to know about the Wimbledon defending champion's plans for grass season
Carlos Alcaraz recently claimed his third Major title at the French Open with an impressive 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 comeback win over Alexander Zverev in the final. He has little time to bask in the glory of his triumph as after a week of rest, he will be back to compete on grass courts.
In a quick chat with Radio Marca, Alcaraz outlined his plans for the upcoming grass swing. He'll first head to London to participate in the Queen's Club Championships, and then compete at Wimbledon. This will be followed by a change of surface as he will circle back to clay courts for the Paris Olympics.
"Now intense moments and months are coming, they are very intense tournaments, we will try to give everything to win Wimbledon again, go to the Queens, and then prepare for the Olympics in Paris," - Carlos Alcaraz on his schedule for the coming weeks.
The Queen's Club Championships is an ATP 500 tournament and will take place from June 17-23. The season's third Major, the Wimbledon Championships, will be held from July 1-14.
Alcaraz had a flawless run on grass courts last year. He captured his first title on the surface at the Queen's Club Championships, losing only one set en route to the title. He rode the wave of momentum to a Wimbledon title after that and brought an end to Novak Djokovic's four-year reign at the venue by beating him in the final.
Alcaraz will be keen to replicate the same level of success this year. He will be high on confidence after his triumph at the French Open, especially after being sidelined for most of the clay season due to an injury.
Carlos Alcaraz aiming to become the first non "Big-3" player to defend a Major title
While Carlos Alcaraz is racking up Major titles at a rapid pace, defending them in a completely different matter. Only three players have mounted a successful title defense at a Grand Slam over the past two decades - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz has all the tools to join those elite three by defending his upcoming Wimbledon crown. The young Spaniard has successfully defended his titles in Barcelona, Madrid, and Indian Wells thus far. Furthermore, he has never lost before the semifinals while amid a title defense.
The hallowed lawns of All England Club have proven quite tough to conquer over and over. Federer and Djokovic are the only two players to defend their Wimbledon titles this century. Alcaraz has a tough task ahead of him but he has what it takes to emerge victorious.