Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek withdraw from Wimbledon lead-up tournaments at Queen's Club and Berlin

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek will have to take their stellar claycourt form straight to Wimbledon, having withdrawn from tournaments leading up to the grasscourt Major. While Alcaraz withdrew from the Queen's Club tournament in London, Swiatek will not play the German Open in Berlin.

The short turnaround between the French Open and Wimbledon has always been a tricky situation to manage for players, particularly those who have had an intense claycourt season and need some rest.

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is on a 35-match unbeaten run, having won six tournaments in a row. After an intense claycourt season that saw her play right up to the conclusion of the French Open, the Polish superstar has decided to recharge her batteries ahead of the grasscourt Major.

Unless she takes a late wildcard into another tournament on grass next week, which seems unlikely, Swiatek will travel directly to Wimbledon. World No. 3 Paula Badosa has joined Swiatek in withdrawing from the German Open.

Teenage tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, withdrew from the tune-up event at Queen's Club to recover from a slight elbow niggle. The Spaniard's first match at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships will be his first match on grass this season.

Alcaraz admitted that he does not have much experience on grass, but is confident of his chances at the iconic Wimbledon Championships.

“I don’t have much experience on grass, but I felt comfortable at Wimbledon in 2021. I’m going there to try to win the tournament like in every event I enter," said Alcaraz.

He further expressed that he is already "thinking about Wimbledon" and is keen to prepare for the tournament to the best of his abilities.

"I am already thinking about Wimbledon, about recovering my elbow in the best possible way and preparing for Wimbledon. I hope to give a joy to all Murcians," the Spaniard said.

Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek's record at the Wimbledon Championships

Day Four: The Championships - Wimbledon 2021

Carlos Alcaraz last played a match on grass in the second round of last year's Wimbledon Championships, losing in straight sets to second seed Daniil Medvedev. Despite an early exit, he left the tournament with great memories. Alcaraz defeated Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in a long battle, marking his first tour-level win on grass.

Back in 2019, Alcaraz was a quarterfinalist at the junior Wimbledon Championships. Just three years later, the Spaniard will enter the event as the World No. 7.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek made her Wimbledon debut in 2019 as an unseeded player. She lost her opening match to Viktorija Golubic in straight sets.

Swiatek returned to Wimbledon as a much-improved player in the 2021 edition and was the seventh seed. She made it to the fourth round, eventually losing to Ons Jabeur in a three-set battle.