The iconic Queen’s Club Championships have arrived, with the grass-court season now underway following the conclusion of the French Open.
Plenty of high-profile names in men’s tennis will descend upon London for an important stage of the calendar.
Young star Carlos Alcaraz lifted the prestigious trophy last time out, edging out Australian Alex de Minaur 6-4, 6-4.
The win came despite the Spaniard admitting to a lack of experience on grass before the tournament began.
For good measure, the 21-year-old then followed the success up with a second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.
With the glory, Alcaraz became the eighth man in the Open Era to complete the Queen’s-Wimbledon double in the same year.
Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz handed good news for Queen’s
He may just be the man to beat once more following his success at the French Open, with many stars now looking to knock him off his perch.
And there are two players who will like their chances of doing just that after the draw was confirmed, with Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz both facing qualifiers in round one.
In stark contrast, awkward ties have been handed to the likes of 2023 finalists Alcaraz and De Minaur, who will face Francisco Cerundolo and Lorenzo Musetti respectively.
There is also a tough task in store for Grigor Dimitrov, who will take on Adrian Mannarino in the opening round at Queen’s.
How does the rest of the Queen’s draw look?
All eyes will be on the likes of Alcaraz and the other major names on the ATP Tour as they look to go far in London.
The reigning champion has a difficult start in his title defence, with Francisco Cerundolo impressing at the French Open before a thrilling five-set loss to Novak Djokovic.
But elsewhere in terms of seeded players, Sebastian Baez has been drawn against Tommy Paul, Holger Rune faces Jordan Thompson, and Ugo Humbert meets Matteo Arnaldi.
There is, of course, plenty of British interest, with several players looking to make an impact on home soil.
Like Shelton and Fritz, Andy Murray will take on a qualifier, with Jack Draper set to meet Mariano Navone. Draper clearly has big plans this summer, having taken part in a grass practice session immediately after his French Open exit.
A tough test is in store for Cam Norrie against Milos Raonic, with Dan Evans taking on Brandon Nakashima and Billy Harris drawn to face Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
A warm farewell could be in store for fan favourite Murray at Queen’s ahead of his likely retirement, with Wimbledon organisers planning a tribute for the Scot next month.
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