Tuesday at the 2025 Queen’s Club Championships delivered a mix of expected victories and thrilling upsets, setting the stage for an intriguing week of grass-court tennis at Queen’s Club. While top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper advanced with relatively straightforward wins, several highly-ranked players stumbled, creating significant ripples in the Men’s Singles draw.
In a notable upset, Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka dispatched fifth seed Alex de Minaur (AUS) in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. De Minaur struggled to find his rhythm on the grass, opening the door for Lehecka’s impressive performance.
Another shock came on the Andy Murray Arena, where French qualifier Corentin Moutet battled through a marathon match to defeat third seed Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-7(5), 7-6(7), 7-5. Moutet’s tenacity and unconventional style ultimately wore down the American in a captivating encounter.
Adding to the list of upsets, lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) pulled off a surprise victory over sixth seed Ben Shelton (USA) in two tight tie-break sets, 7-6(5), 7-6(4).
Meanwhile, reigning French Open champion and top seed Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) began his grass-court campaign with a 6-4, 7-6(4) win over lucky loser Adam Walton (AUS). Though Alcaraz secured the victory, Walton pushed him in the second set, demonstrating the challenges of transitioning to grass.
British hope and second seed Jack Draper (GBR) delighted the home crowd with a dominant display, defeating Jenson Brooksby (USA) 6-3, 6-1. Draper’s powerful serve and aggressive baseline play were too much for the American.
Other notable results in Men’s Singles Round of 32 include:
- Brandon Nakashima (USA) overcoming Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) 6-7(10), 7-6(5), 6-4 in another tightly contested match.
- Jaume Munar (ESP) advancing after Jordan Thompson (AUS) retired with Munar leading 7-5.
- Gabriel Diallo (CAN) securing a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory over British wild card Billy Harris (GBR).
- Alexei Popyrin (AUS) battling past fellow qualifier Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) 6-2, 6-7(9), 7-6(3).
- Reilly Opelka (USA) serving his way to a 7-6(6), 6-4 win against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG).
In the Men’s Doubles Round of 16, British wild cards stole the show:
- Jacob Fearnley (GBR) and Cameron Norrie (GBR) caused a significant upset, defeating third seeds Joe Salisbury (GBR) and Neal Skupski (GBR) 6-3, 3-6, [13-11] in a thrilling super tie-break.
- Another all-British wild card duo, David Stevenson (GBR) and Marcus Willis (GBR), advanced by beating Hugo Nys (MON) and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 7-6(5), 6-7(3), [10-3].
- Qualifier Rohan Bopanna (IND) and Sander Gille (BEL) overcame Jakub Mensik (CZE) and Holger Rune (DEN) 7-6(1), 6-7(5), [10-6].
- Nikola Mektic (CRO) and Michael Venus (NZL) secured a straightforward win against Brandon Nakashima (USA) and Frances Tiafoe (USA) 7-5, 6-2.
The upsets on Tuesday promise an exciting remainder of the tournament as the draws open up, offering opportunities for both established stars and rising talents to make a deep run at the 2025 Queen’s Club Championships.
