Carlos Alcaraz wasted no time asserting dominance at the Qatar Open, grinding out a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win against Arthur Rinderknech to reach the second round. The victory etched his name further into history with the 150th hard-court triumph of his young career.
Facing adversity, Alcaraz erased two set points in the decider and powered through the tie-break, displaying the champion quality that has propelled him to world No. 1.
‘I knew Arthur would come at me hard; he’s got that fighting spirit,’ Alcaraz noted. ‘Staying positive and focused helped me pull through those critical moments.’
Eager to avenge last year’s quarterfinal defeat in Doha, Alcaraz prepares for Valentin Royer next. The draw opens possibilities for a quarterfinal against titleholder Karen Khachanov and a championship tilt with second seed Jannik Sinner.
Khachanov battled past Shintaro Mochizuki 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 and eyes Marton Fucsovics in round two.
Andrey Rublev, the defending champ and 2020 winner, overcame early jitters to defeat Jesper de Jong 6-4, 6-3. He faces Fabian Marozsan, victor over Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-1.
Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas tamed wild card Moez Echargui 6-4, 6-4, teeing up a tasty encounter with former winner Daniil Medvedev.
Alcaraz’s clinical performance underscores his status as the favorite, promising fireworks in Doha.