Andy Murray kicked off what is likely to be his final appearance at the Queen's Club Championships with a hard-fought victory over Alexei Popyrin. On Tuesday, the 37-year-old Murray, a five-time champion at the London grass-court event, won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 against the 48th-ranked Australian. This match marked the 1,000th Tour-level contest of his career.

Despite dropping the second set and showing signs of physical strain, Murray rallied in the third. A stunning cross-court winner and a fist pump energized the crowd as he secured the break point and ultimately the match in one hour and 51 minutes.

Reflecting on the win, Murray, who plans to retire after Wimbledon or the Olympics, said: "I've not got too many wins this year, it's been a difficult season, and I did well to come through in the end. Any win you can get is important, that's why we play. With Wimbledon a few weeks away I want to get some matches in my legs and some confidence. It's great to get another win here."

The three-time Grand Slam champion, competing with a metal hip, has faced ankle and back issues this year. Now ranked 129th, Murray acknowledged the toll on his body: "I've felt better, but it was enough today. My mum told me it was my 1,000th match and that's a lot of matches, a lot of wear and tear on the body and it's not easy, but I managed to push through it."

Meanwhile, Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz returned to the court following his French Open triumph. The defending champion overcame a mid-match slump to secure a victory. Alcaraz committed only one unforced error in the first set but faltered in the second, trailing 2-5. He fought back, saving three set points at 4-5 and extending his grass-court winning streak to 13 matches. The world number two will face Stuttgart champion Jack Draper next.

"The first match in any tournament is never easy but even more difficult here on grass, starting the grass season," said the 21-year-old Alcaraz. "It is good to have tough situations, having to deal with nerves."

In other matches, Lorenzo Musetti upset Australian second seed Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 6-2. Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Sebastian Korda also secured wins, while sixth-seeded American Ben Shelton was defeated by French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and Italy's Matteo Arnaldi ousted eighth seed Ugo Humbert.