Vondrousova is another Wimbledon champion who enjoyed silverware success on the grass this weekend.
©Adrian Dennis / AFPBy taking up only a few weeks in the calendar, the grass court swing is always a case of rapid fire.
Over the past week a handful of elite talents have laid down their marker to succeed at SW19, with Wimbledon 2025 bursting into life on Monday 30th June.
Here are the key headlines from the turf…
Just 14 days after his modern-day classic Roland-Garros 2025 final triumph, Carlos Alcaraz has conquered another city, another historic tournament.
The infectious smile of the Spaniard dazzled the packed crowds of the Queen’s Club as the five-time major winner lifted the prestigious HSBC Championships trophy on Sunday.
Alcaraz overcome the firepower of ever-improving Czech Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 to regain the title he won in 2023.
“This tournament is really special to me,” said Alcaraz, who has already claimed five titles this season. “I’m just happy to lift the trophy once again. I came without expectation, just to play good tennis and get used to the grass.”
Rewind to the Miami Masters in March and a despondent Alcaraz fell at the first hurdle to wily Belgian David Goffin. It proved to be a pivotal moment for the Spaniard.
“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," said Alcaraz.
“That was the key, just to have five days off, not grabbing a racket, not stepping on the court. Just go on vacation with my family, to turn off my mind, to think what I should have done better.
“I just got the joy back, and I started to enjoy playing tennis again.”
That joy has yielded a 27-1 record since Miami, hoisting up silverware in Monte-Carlo, Rome, Roland-Garros and now Queen’s Club.
In West London, he suffered a 6-4, 6-7(7), 7-5 scare facing his compatriot Jaume Munar in the Last 16, before Lehecka unleashed both barrels in the final. The hot shots kept coming, the smiles kept coming.
As a result, the two-time defending Wimbledon champion will arrive at The All England Club on a career-best 18-match winning streak.
“That Roland-Garros final, that Roland Garros title, I got an extra boost, let's say,” suggested Alcaraz. “I had my days to celebrate it, to enjoy, to turn off my mind a little bit from that. It was like a chapter closed, and let's say been in another chapter here at Queen's.
“The confidence is pretty high right now. Obviously, as many wins as you get, you're going to get more confident. The way that I'm moving, the way that I'm hitting the ball, I think it's really high right now.”
Former world No.6 Marketa Vondrousova won the Berlin Open on Sunday, which was the Czech’s first title since a remarkable run at Wimbledon 2023.
Vondrousova, having been set back by shoulder surgery last year, arrived in Germany ranked at No.164, but then ripped through the high-calibre draw.
The 25-year-old toppled Australian Open champion Madison Keys, Diana Shnaider, Ons Jabeur and then dismissed world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka 6-2, 6-4. Into the final and the Czech prevailed past Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu 7-6(10), 4-6, 6-2 to send out a signal of intent to her major rivals.
"We came here to try and win the first match, and now this is happening,” said the world No.73 during the trophy presentation. “So I'm very grateful to be standing here.”
Elsewhere in the WTA ranks, American McCartney Kessler claimed her maiden grass-court title with a 6-4, 7-5 scoreboard over Dayana Yastremska in Nottingham, UK.
Just like his fellow world No.1 Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner was undone by the eventual champion in Germany last week.
This time the location was Halle and this time the champion was the showstopping talent of Alexander Bublik.
The Kazakhstani, who previously lifted this trophy in 2023, reeled in Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round, prior to a pulsating 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over Daniil Medvedev in the final.
Bublik reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland-Garros earlier in June, capping a true turn around in fortunes.
“It’s tough to speak. I had such tough months since last Wimbledon to probably this summer,” said Bublik, having fallen to world No.82 in March.
“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 Roland-Garros, winner here. I have no words.”
ROLAND-GARROS
18 May - 7 June 2026
