London, June 22 (IANS) Carlos Alcaraz captured his second Queen’s Club title on Sunday, overcoming a stern challenge from Jiri Lehecka to win the 2025 HSBC Championships final 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, now the ATP Tour leader with five titles this season, displayed resilience and brilliance to claim his 21st career tour-level trophy.

“This tournament is really special to me,” said Alcaraz. “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. I [was lucky] to have a lot of friends and family here that made me feel really comfortable on and off the court,” said Alcaraz.

Facing Lehecka, who was contesting his first grass-court final, Alcaraz battled through two tightly contested sets. After edging the first, he narrowly lost a tense second-set tie-break, but responded emphatically in the decider. His dominance in the final set showcased his grass-court prowess and experience, sealing the win in just over two hours.

This triumph marked Alcaraz’s fourth career title on grass, joining Novak Djokovic, Matteo Berrettini, Taylor Fritz, and Nicolas Mahut as the only active players with four or more. Entering Wimbledon as the two-time defending champion, Alcaraz rides an 18-match win streak—his longest to date.

Since a surprising early exit in Miami, Alcaraz has been nearly unstoppable, compiling a 27-1 record and collecting prestigious titles in Monte-Carlo, Rome, Roland Garros, and now London. He has also widened his lead over Jannik Sinner in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.

A highlight of the match came during the second-set tie-break, when Alcaraz executed a stunning lob after a grueling rally, igniting the crowd and underscoring his remarkable athleticism and flair under pressure.

“It’s tough for me to find the words now, but I’m super happy that I had the chance to fight for the title today,” said Lehecka, who trails Alcaraz 1-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “Well done to Carlos and your team for doing a great job. I gave everything I had today and unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

–IANS

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