Carlos Alcaraz overcame a tricky opening match against Adam Walton at Queen’s on Tuesday, marking his first appearance since his dramatic victory at the French Open. However, two of the sport’s top 10 players, Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, suffered surprise defeats to French opponents Corentin Moutet and Arthur Rinderknech respectively.
Returning to grass for the first time since capturing his second Wimbledon crown last year, top seed Alcaraz battled past world number 86 Walton with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) win in warm conditions in west London. The Spaniard, who defeated Jannik Sinner in a five-set epic just over a week ago at Roland Garros, secured the first set after breaking in the seventh game.
Although Alcaraz seemed to settle into the match, Walton mounted a spirited comeback, earning two set points on the Spaniard’s serve in the tenth game of the second set. The Australian was unable to convert, allowing Alcaraz to level and ultimately prevail in the tie-break. After his win, Alcaraz inscribed “Grass season, here we go!” on the camera lens, expressing his appreciation for the London crowd’s support.
“The first match on grass is always difficult—getting back into competition and adapting to the surface,” Alcaraz admitted. “But I’m really pleased with how I performed today. Of course, there are plenty of things to work on to feel more comfortable on grass, but overall, I’m happy to progress.” Alcaraz will next face fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar in the last 16.
Meanwhile, world number four Fritz was unable to capitalise on a match point against Moutet, eventually losing 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5. The Frenchman saved himself in the second set tie-break before breaking serve at the crucial moment to seal victory. Shelton also exited earlier than expected, falling to Rinderknech 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in straight sets.
Earlier in the day, British second seed Jack Draper made light work of American Jenson Brooksby, cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Draper, who previously defeated both Sinner and Alcaraz at Queen’s, delivered a dominant display, winning 93 percent of points on his first serve and not facing a single break point. The left-hander is aiming for his second grass court title after his success in Stuttgart last year and will meet Australian Alexei Popyrin next, following Popyrin’s win over compatriot Aleksandar Vukic.
“Feels amazing—no place I’d rather be,” Draper told the home crowd. “We travel the world playing tennis and rarely get the chance to be at home with family, so being on this court in front of my people means a lot. Thank you.”
