Carlos Alcaraz hit Ibiza as Jack Draper chilled out in preparation for Queen's

The preparations of the top two men's seeds for this week's HSBC Championships at the Queen's Club make for quite the contrast. The No1 Carlos Alcaraz arrived in London on Saturday after a few days in Ibiza drinking shots, while the No2 seed Jack Draper has spent his spare time chilling out at home.
No one can begrudge Alcaraz his trip to a Spanish island infamous for its hedonistic nightclubbing culture. There was much to celebrate after the 22-year-old's remarkable comeback from three championship points down against Jannik Sinner in last Sunday's French Open final lasting five sets in 5½ hours.
Alcaraz was by no means staying out at the likes of Amnesia and Pacha until sunrise, but there was the occasional moment in which he would let his hair down. Videos taken by revellers at the outdoor day club Ushuaïa showed Alcaraz dancing in the VIP area alongside the Tottenham Hotspur footballer Sergio Reguilón, while he admitted on Sunday that some alcohol was consumed in a toast to his recent victory.
'This year Ibiza was more chill,' Alcaraz said. 'It was fun, but honestly I rested a lot, physically and mentally. But I had fun and a nice three days. It was more than enough.
'Once I went to bed so late. That's the craziest thing. Obviously I did some shots as well, but nothing more than that.'
This is becoming a pre-Wimbledon ritual for Alcaraz. His Netflix documentary entitled My Way, released earlier this year, revealed that his coaching team attempted to stop him going to Ibiza after winning the French Open in 2024. He did not heed their instructions and was adamant that a break from tennis was necessary in between his transition from clay to grass.
There were no interventions this time, with Alcaraz insisting on Sunday that 'they knew at the beginning that I was going to go 100 per cent'. The week in between the French Open and Queen's allows for some respite and Alcaraz eventually took to the courts here on Saturday for his first hit on grass this year.
PA
'It's the middle of the season,' Alcaraz said. 'The clay season is really, really intense, so soon after Roland Garros is the best moment to go anywhere. My friends are going to Ibiza every year, so I thought I'll go to Ibiza as well. But it doesn't matter the place you're going. It's time to turn off your mind a little bit, to rest physically and mentally, and come back to the grass season as good as I can.'
Alcaraz is bidding to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1979 and 1980 to complete French Open-Wimbledon doubles in consecutive years. Seven days after his triumph at Roland Garros, there was still some disbelief that he is in this position after being on the brink of a four-set defeat.
'The phone, the media, everywhere, there is a lot of videos from that match, from that moment, match point down,' Alcaraz said. 'I still watch it sometimes and I still don't believe that I come back from that moment.'
Draper, too, could not quite believe what he was watching on television at home last week. The 23-year-old Briton is well aware of the talent of both Alcaraz and Sinner, and has long stated his intention to catch up with them at the summit of men's tennis. He has done well to rapidly rise to a career-high world ranking of No4 last week but more work is required to reach the levels seen in one of the great grand-slam finals.
'I think it inspired all the players,' Draper said. 'I don't know what I'm capable of yet, but I aspire to be at that level. What those guys are doing is setting the way and changing the game. Players like myself are going to be working very hard to get to that point.'
While there is still disappointment at his French Open fourth-round exit, it has at least afforded Draper some extra rest at home and an earlier start to his practice on grass. He is due to open his campaign for a first Queen's Club title against Jenson Brooksby, the world No151 from the United States on Tuesday.
'Everyone's different,' Draper said. 'For me I like being at home. I love going back to the UK, to my flat or to the family home. I like coming back to see my family. I never get that time to be able to come back home and just completely relax.
'When I work, I work really hard and I'm always on. I'm always trying to improve and stuff. Sometimes it's nice for me now to come back and just take my mind off everything. I don't really feel the urge to be going out partying and all that sort of stuff.'

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