LONDON, June 17, 2025
Alcaraz Gets New Opponent at Queen’s Club
Carlos Alcaraz will face Adam Walton in his opening match at the HSBC Championships after a late withdrawal.
- Carlos Alcaraz will now play Adam Walton in the first round.
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina withdrew from the tournament due to illness.
- Alcaraz was practicing with Jordan Thompson when he received the news.
Tennis fans, get ready for a shakeup! Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz will now clash with Australia’s Adam Walton in the first round of the HSBC Championships on Tuesday. This change comes after Alejandro Davidovich Fokina pulled out due to illness, making the match even more intriguing.
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz prepares for his opener in west London with coach Samuel Lopez watching on.
The No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz, was in the middle of a 30-minute practice session with Jordan Thompson when he learned of the switch. He even exchanged a nod of acknowledgement and a smile with Thompson, who is Walton’s fellow countryman, before wrapping up practice and enjoying a bit of tennis golf with his team.
Davidovich Fokina, who recently got married in Marbella, Spain, was set to compete at the ATP 500 event. Alcaraz’s practice partner, Thompson, is also a potential second-round opponent, with Thompson facing Jaume Munar in his opening match.
Did you know? Alcaraz has a 6-1 record at Queen’s Club, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. He won the tournament in 2023 before losing to Jack Draper in the second round last year.
Walton, a lucky loser, is making his main-draw debut and has yet to face Alcaraz in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
