"If I didn't win Queen's, I wouldn't have won Wimbledon" - Carlos Alcaraz on "special" title which led to his victory over Novak Djokovic days later

Carlos Alcaraz has revisited his title-winning run at last year's Cinch Championships, which was held at the Queen's Club. The Spaniard said he would not have been able to win the 2023 Wimbledon Championships had it not been for his confidence-building campaign at Queen's, which was his maiden grasscourt title on the ATP tour.

Carlos Alcaraz set up a final showdown with Alex de Minaur in the 2023 edition of the ATP 500 event after beating Arthur Rinderknech, Jiri Lehecka, Grigor Dimitrov, and Sebastian Korda. In the title clash, the top-seeded Spaniard beat De Minaur 6-4, 6-4 to lift his maiden trophy on grass.

After tasting glory at the Queen's Club Championships, Alcaraz headed to Wimbledon and breezed into the final after downing Jeremy Chardy, Alexandre Muller, Nicolas Jarry, Matteo Berrettini, Holger Rune and Daniil Medvedev. Novak Djokovic awaited the Spaniard in the final, which turned out to be an epic five-setter.

It was Carlos Alcaraz who ended up winning the final 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, for his second Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz recently spoke with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) about the significance of his 2023 success at the Queen's Club. The Spaniard opined that winning the Wimbledon title would not have been possible without the valuable experiences he had during his campaign at the ATP 500 event.

"It was great winning Queen's, my first tournament on grass. It was a really special one. I would say if I didn't win Queen's, I would not have been able to win Wimbledon. So it was a great run over there and a special win for me," Alcaraz said. (0:08)

The World No. 2 also expressed his "love" for playing on grass, saying that he feels that the surface suits his style of play.

"I love playing on grass. I think my game is very well-suited for grass. I want to play aggressive all the time. I want to find the net in every point. Drop shots, slices. So I think that's my style and that's the way that I enjoy the game," Alcaraz added.

"I tried to do everything Martina Navratilova told me" - Carlos Alcaraz after 2023 Wimbledon success

Carlos Alcaraz posing with the 2023 Wimbledon Championships men's singles trophy

Following his five-set win over Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final, Alcaraz revealed that he had followed Martina Navratilova's advice. Navratilova, during a conversation with Alcaraz earlier in the tournament on Tennis Channel, had told the Spaniard:

"Use the slice more. Cause the ball stays low. Nobody really likes to see a slice coming at them. And you hit it really well. And come to the net more. Not because you need to, but because it’s so nice to see you there."

Alcaraz told Tennis Channel after winning the title that he later thanked Navratilova for her advice.

"I saw her after I got out from the court. And I told her, ‘It was your advice! The key.’ I sliced. I tried to do everything she told me. I mean, nine times champion – You have to do whatever she tells you. And I think it was great," Carlos Alcaraz said.

The Spaniard recently won his third Grand Slam at the French Open. He will start his 2024 grass-court season at the Cinch Championships again.