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How Alcaraz prepares for a grass match at Queen's Club...

Beneath Carlos Alcaraz’s cheerful, easygoing demeanor lies a steely resilience — the same grit that powered his record-setting comeback in the Roland Garros final two weeks ago.

While the headlines may have been filled with his laughter, post-win celebrations, and a brief reset in Ibiza, that underlying toughness remains on full display this week at the HSBC Championships. The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz is on the brink of another milestone at Queen’s Club, where a second-round triumph against countryman Jaume Munar on Thursday would mark his 15th consecutive match win, the longest streak of his career.

In preparation, Alcaraz trained alongside American Jenson Brooksby in a 40-minute session under the searing London sun. Stationed on the secluded Court 7, which offers no public courtside viewing, the Spaniard’s intensity was unmistakable from the first ball.

Following a round of blood flow restriction training, which involved using compression bands around his thighs, Alcaraz greeted Brooksby and eased into a light warm-up through the middle of the court. But the smiles quickly faded as he launched a barrage of punishing, deep, and pinpoint-accurate groundstrokes.

With coach Samuel Lopez observing closely and offering occasional guidance, Alcaraz drilled crosscourt forehands and backhands before turning his focus to an extended period of serve and return practice, a nod to their vital role on grass.

_{^{Carlos Alcaraz trains at Queen's Club with coach Samuel Lopez. Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images.}} 

Despite the serious tone, flashes of Alcaraz’s trademark flair broke through. Toward the end of practice, he displayed touch and imagination as he attempted deft drop shots off Brooksby’s first serves.

Throughout the week at Queen’s Club, Alcaraz and his team have kept things light by wrapping up sessions with a playful round of tennis golf. But not on Thursday. Instead, his focus was razor sharp and attention was on the task at hand.

Fresh from his title runs at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome and Roland Garros, Alcaraz returned to London in pursuit of yet another benchmark: His longest career win streak (15).

Champion on debut in 2023, Alcaraz owns a 7-1 record at the ATP 500 event, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He leads Munar 2-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, with all previous meetings played on clay.