Queen's Club 2024 Draw: Carlos Alcaraz's path to the final ft. potential R2 showdown with Jack Draper, QF with Tommy Paul | Cinch Championships
Carlos Alcaraz returns to the venue of his first grass court triumph to defend his title at the 2024 Cinch Championships at Queen's Club. The young Spaniard recently captured his third Grand Slam title at the French Open.
However, there's no time for him to rest on his laurels, as Alcaraz is back in action merely a week after his triumph in Paris. This tournament could be an indication of how he fares at Wimbledon, where he's the defending champion as well.
The Spaniard will be eager to join the ranks of players like Andy Roddick, John McEnroe, Andy Murray, and Boris Becker, among others, with a successful title defense at the Cinch Championships. With that in mind, here's a quick look at the players he will have to go through to reach the final:
R1 opponent - Francisco Cerundolo
Alcaraz will commence his title defense against World No. 27 Francisco Cerundolo. The latter also won a title on grass last year, though he has been quite inconsistent this season. The Spaniard's form should help him prevail, unless he's still tired after his French Open triumph.
Possible R2 opponent - Jack Draper
Alcaraz could face the in-form Draper in the second round. The Brit is currently in the final of the Boss Open in Stuttgart and will face Matteo Berrettini for the title on Sunday (June 16).
Alcaraz has won both of his prior matches against Draper, though his most recent victory at last year's Indian Wells Masters was courtesy of a mid-match retirement. The Brit has improved a lot since then and if he faces the reigning Roland Garros champion after winning the title in Stuttgart, then he could give him a run for his money.
Possible QF opponent - Tommy Paul
Alcaraz could reignite his rivalry with Paul in the quarterfinals. The American has usually given him a tough time, and the two have split their previous four meetings evenly. The Spaniard edged past his rival in three sets at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters when they last crossed paths.
Paul already has a couple of matches under his belt on grass. He participated in the Libema Open, and made the quarterfinals, losing to Sebastian Korda in straight sets.
Alcaraz and Paul have only faced off on hardcourts, and given the American's shaky record on grass, the Spaniard could have the edge here. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Sebastian Baez are other candidates to reach this stage should Paul stumble early on.
Possible SF opponent - Grigor Dimitrov/Sebastian Korda
Alcaraz knocked out Korda in the semifinals en route to the title last year and could have to do the same this year as well. Although the American trails 4-1 in their rivalry, he will be better prepared this time.
Korda's grass swing has started on a strong note as he has reached the final of the Libema Open. He will take on Alex de Minaur in the summit clash on Sunday (June 16).
Dimitrov is another player Alcaraz could encounter in the semifinals. The latter has won their last two matches, including at this year's Miami Open. However, the Spaniard ousted his older rival in the quarterfinals here last year and leads their overall head-to-head 3-2.
Possible opponent in the Final - Alex de Minaur/Ben Shelton/Taylor Fritz
The tournament could see a rematch of last year's final should Alcaraz and de Minaur both make it to the championship round. The Australian is in the midst of a career-best season and has made the Libema Open final to begin his grass swing. This could be his time to score his first win over the World No. 2.
Shelton was upset by James Duckworth in his first grass match of the season at the Libema Open. His fellow American, Fritz, has a better shot at making the final. The latter has two grasscourt titles to his name, and after a successful clay swing, he will be keen to carry the momentum forward.
Andy Murray, Holger Rune, and Milos Raonic are some of the other big names in the bottom half of the draw who could potentially reach the final. It won't be an easy task for Alcaraz to defend his title but he's certainly up for the challenge.