Carlos Alcaraz beats Jiri Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrating with his trophy after beating Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 in the Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament final in London on June 22, 2025. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
– Top seed Carlos Alcaraz edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club title on June 22 and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence.
Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at Queen's a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka, who underlined his own credentials as a rising force.
Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes.
Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times Grand Slam champion and edged the second-set tiebreak with some clinical tennis.
Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena in west London.
He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net.
While Alcaraz will be seeded second at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite.
He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and the June 22 win was his fifth title in 2025.
'This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me,' Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. 'Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you.'
Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on June 21 and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha.
With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set.
The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead.
Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob.
But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final.
Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory.
'The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me,' Alcaraz said. 'I felt like I was in control most of the time.'
At the Halle Open, Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career to claim the Halle title on June 22, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to continue his resurgence.
Bublik had lost his previous six meetings against Russian Medvedev, winning only one set in the process, but produced a superb exhibition of grass-court tennis to end that streak.
Former world No. 1 Medvedev has now lost his last six Tour-level finals.
So often the showman, Bublik showed his new maturity with a calm display in the final as he continued the form that saw him beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the last 16 last week.
He broke the Medvedev serve in the eighth game of the first set and then held his own with ease to move ahead.
Medvedev had a set point when Bublik served at 4-5 in the second set but could do nothing as his wily opponent feathered a delicate drop shot from behind the baseline.
Third seed Medvedev then led 4-1 in the tiebreak but the unseeded Bublik stormed back to complete a memorable week.
Said Bublik: 'It's tough to speak. I had such tough months since last Wimbledon to probably this summer. I was close to calling it quits after Wimbledon, because I was not enjoying it anymore.
'I promised my coach that I would stay there and keep practising, and after Wimbledon we will make a decision about whether I need to take a couple of months off before trying to come back. Now this is happening. I don't know. Quarters at the French. Winner here. I have no words.'
Meanwhile, Norway's Casper Ruud has pulled out of Wimbledon as he is still struggling to recover from a knee injury, his management told local media on June 21.
The world No. 16 and two-time French Open finalist suffered a shock second-round exit at the clay-court Major last in May, losing to unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal.
Afterwards he said he had been struggling with a knee injury for some time and he has not been in action on the men's tour since , withdrawing from the grass-court event in Mallorca .
'He's back on the court, and things are going well, but it looks like playing best-of-five sets is unfortunately a bit too soon. Gstaad will be next for Casper now,' manager Tina Falster told NTB.
Ruud's best showing at Wimbledon is three second-round appearances. Wimbledon starts on June 30, while the Swiss Open in Gstaad begins on July 14. REUTERS
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Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
Carlos Alcaraz beats Jiri Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrating with his trophy after beating Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 in the Queen's Club Championships tennis tournament final in London on June 22, 2025. PHOTO: EPA-EFE – Top seed Carlos Alcaraz edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club title on June 22 and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at Queen's a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka, who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times Grand Slam champion and edged the second-set tiebreak with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena in west London. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. While Alcaraz will be seeded second at Wimbledon behind Jannik Sinner as he bids for a hat-trick of titles there, he will arrive in red-hot form and as overwhelming favourite. He has won 27 of his 28 matches since April, his lone loss coming against Holger Rune in the Barcelona final, and the June 22 win was his fifth title in 2025. 'This is really special this trophy and this tournament for me,' Alcaraz said on court as he clutched the huge piece of silverware. 'Jiri had an incredible week and his level is very high and it's a nightmare to play against you.' Lehecka, whose ball-striking and physique are not dissimilar to Lendl's, beat home favourite Jack Draper in the semi-finals on June 21 and began full of confidence against Alcaraz whom he beat at the start of the year in Doha. With serve dominating on the slick lawn, there was nothing between the players until Lehecka made a couple of errors at 5-5 and Alcaraz needed no second invitation to take the set. The second set followed a similar pattern but it was Lehecka who raised his game in the tiebreak to get a mini-break ahead. Alcaraz replied to win a sensational point at 3-4, sprinting to retrieve a drop shot and then back to chase down a lob. But Lehecka did not flinch and banged down an ace. Alcaraz double-faulted at 5-5 and then Lehecka levelled the final. Lehecka was unable to carry that momentum though and Alcaraz quickly re-established control and surged to victory. 'The goal this week was just to compete and have a few matches on the grass and this final was a gift for me,' Alcaraz said. 'I felt like I was in control most of the time.' At the Halle Open, Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik beat Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his career to claim the Halle title on June 22, winning 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) to continue his resurgence. Bublik had lost his previous six meetings against Russian Medvedev, winning only one set in the process, but produced a superb exhibition of grass-court tennis to end that streak. Former world No. 1 Medvedev has now lost his last six Tour-level finals. So often the showman, Bublik showed his new maturity with a calm display in the final as he continued the form that saw him beat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the last 16 last week. He broke the Medvedev serve in the eighth game of the first set and then held his own with ease to move ahead. Medvedev had a set point when Bublik served at 4-5 in the second set but could do nothing as his wily opponent feathered a delicate drop shot from behind the baseline. Third seed Medvedev then led 4-1 in the tiebreak but the unseeded Bublik stormed back to complete a memorable week. Said Bublik: 'It's tough to speak. I had such tough months since last Wimbledon to probably this summer. I was close to calling it quits after Wimbledon, because I was not enjoying it anymore. 'I promised my coach that I would stay there and keep practising, and after Wimbledon we will make a decision about whether I need to take a couple of months off before trying to come back. Now this is happening. I don't know. Quarters at the French. Winner here. I have no words.' Meanwhile, Norway's Casper Ruud has pulled out of Wimbledon as he is still struggling to recover from a knee injury, his management told local media on June 21. The world No. 16 and two-time French Open finalist suffered a shock second-round exit at the clay-court Major last in May, losing to unseeded Nuno Borges of Portugal. Afterwards he said he had been struggling with a knee injury for some time and he has not been in action on the men's tour since , withdrawing from the grass-court event in Mallorca . 'He's back on the court, and things are going well, but it looks like playing best-of-five sets is unfortunately a bit too soon. Gstaad will be next for Casper now,' manager Tina Falster told NTB. Ruud's best showing at Wimbledon is three second-round appearances. Wimbledon starts on June 30, while the Swiss Open in Gstaad begins on July 14. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Alcaraz beats Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
LONDON :Top seed Carlos Alcaraz edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7(5) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence on Sunday. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at Queen's a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times Grand Slam champion and edged the second set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena in west London. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Alcaraz beats Lehecka in Queen's final to send Wimbledon statement
Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 22, 2025 Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka in action during the final against Spain's Carlos Alcaraz Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra REUTERS Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 22, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during the final against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra REUTERS Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 22, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during the final against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra REUTERS Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 22, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during the final against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra REUTERS Tennis - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 22, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his final match against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra REUTERS LONDON - Top seed Carlos Alcaraz edged powerful Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5 6-7(5) 6-2 to claim his second Queen's Club title and send out a powerful statement ahead of his Wimbledon defence on Sunday. Spaniard Alcaraz, who triumphed at Queen's a few weeks before claiming his first Wimbledon title in 2023, extended his winning streak to 18 matches but was pushed hard by Lehecka who underlined his own credentials as a rising force. Alcaraz, 22, pounced at 5-5 to break the Lehecka serve and duly bagged the opening set in 45 minutes. Lehecka, bidding to become the first Czech to win the Queen's title since Ivan Lendl in 1990, continued going toe-to-toe with the five-times Grand Slam champion and edged the second set tie-break with some clinical tennis. Alcaraz had more in his locker though and forged 4-1 ahead in the decider as Lehecka's level finally began to drop on a breezy Andy Murray Arena in west London. He then broke the 23-year-old Lehecka's serve again to complete victory, letting out a roar of a delight as Lehecka struck a backhand into the net. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
