Remember the chaos of this year’s Miami Open? The men’s draw delivered shocks in the second round, none greater than Carlos Alcaraz’s stunning early exit. The red-hot favorite was stunned by David Goffin in a gritty 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 defeat, sending shockwaves through Hard Rock Stadium. Reeling from the loss, the Spaniard chose to heal over hustle, retreating to Cancun with his family. But critics lashed out, furious he wasn’t back on the court. Yet, Alcaraz silenced every doubter with a ruthless resurgence, claiming Monte Carlo, Italian Open, Roland Garros, and HSBC titles recently in succession. Now, as Wimbledon looms, the 5-time Slam champ is once again choosing peace over pressure! Despite the Miami backlash, he’s drawing clear lines, and this time, no one’s breaking his calm.

Carlos Alcaraz lit up the lawns of London once again, storming past Adam Walton, Jaume Munar, Arthur Rinderknech, and Roberto Bautista Agut before outlasting Jiří Lehečka in a gritty 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 final yesterday to claim his second Queen’s Club title. With 5 trophies in 2025 and 21 career titles at just 22, the Spanish phenom is riding a tidal wave of momentum into Wimbledon.

But with grass stains still fresh, Alcaraz isn’t rushing back to the grind. Instead, he plans to press pause, echoing the same approach he took post-Miami. That time, he stepped away after backlash, only to return sharper than ever. Now, as Wimbledon looms, he’s again choosing mindfulness over madness.

Having just won his second Queen’s Club title in a row at the HSBC Championships, Carlos Alcaraz showed the calm of a champion and the honesty of a fighter in his post-match press conference. When asked how vital his Ibiza break had been after the Miami debacle, the Spaniard didn’t hesitate to pull back the curtain on his mindset and upcoming SW19 plans. “After this tournament, I can’t go back home. I’m going to stay here in London, hopefully enjoy London a little bit. Let’s see how it’s gonna be the next days, but I’m going to have my days off to rest up, to enjoy, and then be back and preparing Wimbledon the best way possible,” he revealed.

But it wasn’t just a story of titles and tactics; it was about battling through the noise. Carlos dug deep, opening up about the heavy criticism he faced after his Miami collapse and how a break was not weakness, but salvation, despite hatred from the fans. “Well, I had so much hate when I lost in Miami. Instead of practice after that, I took a break and I went to Cancun with my family. And I had too much hate then, because a lot of people, you know, start to say, like, What’s going on with this guy that he just lost in the first round, and he didn’t practice, he didn’t go to the court and keep practicing just to be better?” he said.

What a good deal of what was called apathy was a strategy. Carlitos stood by his decision and explained why stepping back was the best move he could’ve made. “And I think that was the key, just to have five, six days off, not grabbing a racquet, not stepping on the court. Just go to vacation with my family, to turn off my mind, to think what should I have done better? And that was the key.”

That reset worked wonders for the Spaniard, who had already set his sights on reclaiming the top ranking even before his HSBC triumph. “You know, after, yeah, it was after Miami, after the vacation that I had in Cancun with my family, I just got the joy back, and I start to enjoy playing tennis again, to enjoy step on the court, competing again. And I think that was the key, to have my days with my family and realizing what is the most important thing for me, that I go there. I’m gonna say that,” he added with raw honesty.

Now, with Monte Carlo, Rome, Paris, and Queens conquered, Alcaraz has reset the stage, one filled with confidence, clarity, and championship hunger. With Wimbledon approaching and legendary support behind him, the reigning champion is ready to fiercely and gracefully defend his title.

Pat Cash backs Alcaraz to win at Wimbledon

Carlos Alcaraz, after successfully beating Jannik Sinner in Paris, landed in London with, in his own words, “no expectations.” But just a week out from SW19, he’s made his presence thunderously clear. The Spaniard blazed through the Queen’s Club draw, toppling Jiri Lehecka in a thrilling final to lift his 2nd straight title there and extend his blistering winning streak to 18 matches, the longest of his career. With this triumph, the second seed now owns 4 grass-court titles, trailing only Novak Djokovic among active players.

After dispatching Roberto Bautista Agut in the SF, he declared, “grass-court mode is activated,” and the 21-year-old wasn’t bluffing. “I came here with no expectations at all,” he admitted yesterday. “I just came here with a goal to play two, three matches, try to feel great on grass moving and give myself the feedback of what I have to improve. But I got used to the grass really quick, and I’m just really proud about it. My goal was complete, and I’m not talking about lifting the trophy or making the final.”

Even 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash is placing his bet on Carlitos. On BBC Radio 5, Cash remarked, “You can’t really expect better form for him to come into Wimbledon; he’s obviously the player to beat. I wouldn’t back against him winning the title at Wimbledon… Alcaraz, red-hot favorite for sure.”

With a week to recharge and recalibrate, Carlos Alcaraz now sets his eyes on defending the crown at the All England Club. Will anyone dare to stand in the way of this grass-court juggernaut? What do you think?