Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed the perfect preparation for Wimbledon, having just won the Queen’s Club Championship title.
It marked his second title in three years at this event, continuing his blistering form on the grass that has seen him lose just three matches across his professional career.
Destined for greatness, it feels like with each new tournament the 22-year-old breaks new ground and makes new history.
After all, Alcaraz matched a Rafael Nadal achievement with this title, and now will hope to surpass it with a title at Wimbledon.
Pat Cash praises history-maker Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking on BBC 5 Live after his latest title triumph, attention had to turn to Wimbledon.
After all, it’s worth questioning if anybody can stop him from winning his third straight event at the All-England Club.
Pat Cash, when asked if he saw Carlos Alcaraz as the clear favourite, was sharp with his answer: ‘Oh, absolutely, yeah. I think you can’t really expect a better form for him to come into Wimbledon, the Championships.
‘He’s obviously the player to beat. He had a great French Open, and, to win the French Open at Wimbledon used to be, almost impossible, Bjorn Borg did it, but in later years, because the grass courts are much harder and much higher bounce. We’ve seen that happen quite a few times, but it’s still a huge effort.
‘The exhaustion to win a Grand Slam is extreme, and yet he’s come over here and won this title as well, and I wouldn’t back against him winning the title of Wimbledon.
‘I think, Jannik Sinner is a bit of a question mark, how he’s going to go. I think I expect him to do well. But there’s always dangers at the All-England Club… but Alcaraz is the red-hot favourite, for sure.’
Carlos Alcaraz hoping to repeat the Roland Garros and Wimbledon double
Across the history of tennis, winning both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year has been one of those fabled feats that garner widespread praise.
After all, it marks the biggest shift in the calendar, from the slow and patient clay to the lightning-quick grass.
To transition takes its toll on most players, and so those who can thrive on both, and acclimatise quickly to the new surface, are rightly lauded.
Alcaraz is one such player.
Last year, he impressed by coming from two sets to one down to beat Alexander Zverev in the French Open final. He then followed that up with a comprehensive straight-sets triumph in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.
Having already repeated his Parisian feat against Jannik Sinner, it truly feels like nobody can stop him from defending both of his major titles from 2024 now.
