Carlos Alcaraz is playing at Queen’s for the first time in his first senior grass-court event outside of WimbledonDates: 17-25 June Venue: Queen’s Club, LondonCoverage: Live coverage on BBC Two and streaming on the BBC Sport website and app, with selected live text commentaries
Spanish world number two Carlos Alcaraz says a short holiday in Ibiza helped “turn off” his mind after the disappointment of his French Open semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz said the stress of playing 23-time major champion Djokovic led to the full body cramps which ruined his chances of reaching the Paris final.
He says he is now mentally refreshed as he prepares to play at Queen’s.
“It is important to enjoy your life a bit as well,” the 20-year-old said.
“It is really important to come back to tennis feeling good.”
In only his second Grand Slam semi-final, and his first match against Djokovic at a major, top seed Alcaraz started cramping early in the third set at Roland Garros, with Djokovic ultimately winning 6-3 5-7 6-1 6-1.
Alcaraz said he spent “one or two days” after the match thinking about what happened and how he could control his nerves better in the future.
The US Open champion then travelled to Ibiza for a few days to switch off from tennis and spend time with friends, including Spanish footballers Sergio Reguilon and Lucas Vazquez, plus Manchester United’s Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez.
“It was a good location and I like that kind of time to turn off your mind,” he said.
“I thought about the match against Novak and what happened, to take positive things about that and also trying to learn, but it was just the first one or two days after the match.
“After that it’s a chance to forget that match and focus on going to the grass season.”
Alcaraz has added the Cinch Championships at Queen’s Club to his schedule for the first time, having only previously played two senior tournaments on grass, both at Wimbledon.
Given a wildcard at the All England Club in 2021, the then 18-year-old lost to Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round before reaching the last 16 on his return last year.
Growing up in Murcia, a sun-drenched region of south-east Spain, there was little opportunity for Alcaraz to play on grass courts before moving into the senior ranks.
Before making his Queen’s debut against 19-year-old Frenchman Arthur Fils on Tuesday, Alcaraz said he was confident his game, which has already brought success on clay and hard courts, can translate to the British grass courts.
“The most difficult part is to move well on grass – you have to be careful, more than other surfaces,” he said.
“There are a lot of players who slide on grass. I am not one of them, so I have to think about the movement.
“I have to be focused on every movement and shot. For me it is more tiring when you are moving on grass. It is totally different, so you have to be really specific.
“The most comfortable is going to the net and playing aggressive all the time. It is similar to the other surfaces, so playing that style is comfortable and I like it.”