Carlos Alcaraz issued an early statement Monday that he remains the man to beat at Roland Garros.
The defending champion delivered a flashy first-round display to move past qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 at the clay-court major. Alcaraz, who is aiming to become the first man to successfully defend the title in Paris since Rafael Nadal in 2019-20, has now won 16 of his 17 tour-level matches on clay this year.
“It was really, really solid,” said Alcaraz. “The first round of the tournament is never easy, coming here as the defending champion could be even tougher. But I just started pretty well, and kept my good pace during the whole match. I tried to be focused on my game, to get a good rhythm.
“I’m just really proud of my start here at Roland Garros, where I was really excited to play my first match this year.”
Alcaraz claimed ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome before reclaiming the No. 2 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings a week ago. In Paris, the 22-year-old will continue his title defence in a second-round clash against Fabian Marozsan, with their Lexus ATP Head2Head series level at 1-1.
In his first round against Zeppieri, Alcaraz hit a series of stunning passing shots from all corners of the court, but was particularly clinical when advancing to the net, where he won 21 of 25 points, according to Infosys Stats. He also saved all three break points he faced during the one-hour, 56-minute clash.
Alcaraz now owns a standout 28-2 record on clay since last May, highlighted by his maiden Roland Garros title and a run to the silver medal at the Paris Olympics in 2024. The Spaniard has shown few signs of slowing down on the surface this year with memorable maiden triumphs in Monte-Carlo and Rome, where he soared past World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final and improved to a 7-4 lead in their gripping Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.
“Right now, I think I found a really good path again,” said Alcaraz of his season. “I’m just starting to get it, feeling more comfortable approaching these matches. Once I start the matches, I’m just keeping the high level [throughout] the match and the whole tournament.”
As the second seed in Paris, Alcaraz could set a quarter-final meeting with two-time finalist Casper Ruud, who also moved into the second round on Monday.
Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid due to an adductor injury, and wore a brace around his knee during his title run in Rome. Yet he moved freely in his Roland Garros opener, during which he played with no strapping.
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