Carlos Alcaraz sent a strong message ahead of Wimbledon by successfully defending his Queen’s Club title with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 win over Jiri Lehecka. Despite limited grass-court preparation, the world No. 2 adapted quickly, extending his winning streak to 18 matches and becoming the first man since Nadal in 2008 to win both Roland Garros and Queen’s in the same year.

The 22-year-old, raised on clay, admitted he came into the tournament with low expectations but was proud of how quickly he found his rhythm on grass. Now a four-time grass-court champion, Alcaraz joins Rafael Nadal and Feliciano Lopez as the only Spanish men to achieve that feat.

Following his French Open triumph, Alcaraz credited mental rest and time off—especially after a disappointing early loss in Miami—as key to rediscovering his joy for the game. Though there’s no Ibiza break this time, he plans to recharge in London before his Wimbledon title defence begins on June 30.