The world number two endures brutal heat and a stubborn Munar to win a three-set epic at Queen’s.

 Carlos Alcaraz refused to yield in sweltering conditions as he battled past Jaume Munar in a three-set epic to reach the quarter-finals at the Cinch Championships in Queen’s Club, London.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, currently the world number two, was pushed to the limits by his compatriot in a match that lasted three hours and 26 minutes. Alcaraz ultimately prevailed 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5, extending his streak to 15 wins — the longest of his burgeoning career.

“Today the conditions were extreme, super hot,” Alcaraz said after the victory. “At the end of the second set I was struggling, my head was spinning. At some point I felt like I was playing in Spain. I just kept fighting. I guess I didn’t give up.”

Fresh from an exhausting French Open final just 11 days ago — where he saved three championship points to defeat Jannik Sinner and retain the title — Alcaraz found himself in another tense contest. Against the world number 59 Munar, Alcaraz started sharply, taking the opening set 6-4. However, the match quickly turned into a test of resilience.

In the second set, Alcaraz missed two match points on his own serve in the tie-break, including a costly double fault, allowing Munar to rally and claim the set 9-7 after an exhausting one-hour, 41-minute battle.

Munar, a gritty and tenacious player, missed nine break points across the match but refused to fold. In the decider, Alcaraz surged to an early break before Munar responded, gaining the upper hand to lead 4-3 and 30-0. Yet the two-time Wimbledon champion refused to relinquish control, storming back to win four points in a row and level the set.

With Munar serving for a deciding tie-break, Alcaraz drew upon every ounce of experience and adrenaline to break, finishing the match with a flurry of precision shots and a clenched fist. The victory marks Alcaraz’s second match on grass this season, as he continues to adjust to the surface after the emotional and physical toll of the French Open.

“3h30 — were we on clay?” Alcaraz jokingly scrawled on the camera lens after sealing the win, acknowledging the brutal nature of the contest. “It was a really tough battle. Jaume is a great competitor and showed how difficult it is to beat him.”

In the quarter-finals, Alcaraz will face Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, who defeated Reilly Opelka 7-5, 7-6 (7-3). The win keeps Alcaraz on track in his bid to defend the Queen’s title he claimed in 2023 — a pivotal part of his successful run to a second Wimbledon crown.

With every match, Alcaraz is reminding the tennis world why he is considered one of the sport’s brightest stars. The pressure mounts, the conditions intensify, and yet Alcaraz finds a way to rise above, gritting out victories that reaffirm his status as a champion.