Alcaraz and Draper get ready to compete on British grass at Queen's 2025
Words by Roxie Martel
The kings of tennis have returned to the Queen's Club Championships for their half of the tournament.
Man of the moment Carlos Alcaraz has had a whirlwind week, from his sensational win at the French Open to celebrations in Ibiza.
Yet, despite his packed schedule, he arrived in London a day earlier than he did last year.
Looking fresh and ready, he shared his enthusiasm with ITV News: 'I'm excited to be back here on grass. Queen's is a really beautiful tournament. I really wanted to come again this year, play my tennis and get used to the grass again.'
Alcaraz is the No. 1 seed but was defeated at Queen's last year by Jack Draper.
Joking about the friendly rivalry he continued: 'Beating Jack on grass here at his home is really difficult… Hopefully if I play against him, I'm going to take the revenge'.
Draper, now the No. 2 seed and current British No. 1, shared his thoughts on playing with the home advantage: 'For me, it's more of a time that I can relax and not have to worry about anything… just get settled in my home environment, sleeping in my own bed. Happy to be back in the UK, that's for sure.'
As they are both seeded at 1 and 2 respectively, the pair won't face each other until the final.
However, the spotlight remains firmly on them for the week.
Tomorrow marks the second day of the men's championship and both are set to play in their first round of singles. Draper is up against America's Jenson Brooksby, followed by Alcaraz facing Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
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