Alcaraz, defending champion, crosses with Cerúndolo in his debut at the Queen’s Club | ATP Tour

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Alcaraz, defending champion, crosses with Cerúndolo in his debut at the Queen’s Club

June 15, 2024

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz faces a tough field at the Cinch Championships, his first tournament since winning the Roland Garros title.

The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings will open his grass season against a Top 30 opponent in Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo. They played in 2019 at an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Palmanova, Spain, when Alcaraz was 15, and Cerundolo triumphed 6-2, 6-4.

Should Alcaraz advance, his path will not be any easier. The Spaniard would face Jack Draper, who could win his first ATP Tour title on Sunday in Stuttgart, or Mariano Navone, the breakout star of 2024. The first seed the 21-year-old could face is Tommy Paul, fifth seed series, who has won two of his four meetings in the Lexus ATP Head2Head.

Alcaraz is on a 12-match winning streak on grass following her titles at Queen’s Club and Wimbledon last year.

Second seed Alex de Minaur, who will play in the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch on Sunday, faces a difficult early test against Italian Lorenzo Musetti, who reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart. The Australian reached the final last year at Queen’s Club.

Five-time Cinch Championships winner Andy Murray will face a qualifier in the first round. If he wins, the former world No. 1 will play seventh seed Holger Rune or Jordan Thompson.

There are several interesting first round matches. Korda, finalist in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, will play against the powerful Karen Khachanov, Cameron Norrie will debut against Milos Raonic in a battle between former Top 10 and the champion of the Nitto ATP Finals 2017 Grigor Dimitrov, third seed, will face Adrian Mannarino, two-time grass champion.