Carlos Alcaraz continued his strong start to the season, defeating France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in the first round of the Qatar Open in Doha on Tuesday.
The world number one, who became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his Australian Open triumph, overcame the 30th-ranked Rinderknech in two closely contested sets.
“It was really difficult. Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round,” Alcaraz said. “I’m happy with the level. I’m happy that I got through difficult moments in the match. I stayed calm, positive, and played great tennis.”
Alcaraz took the first set after breaking in the fifth game but faced resistance in the second, with Rinderknech earning his first break points to push the Spaniard into a tie-break. Alcaraz saved both and clinched the victory with a forehand down the line on match point.
In round two, Alcaraz will face another Frenchman, 60th-ranked Valentin Royer, as he looks to advance further in Doha.
Elsewhere in the draw, Alcaraz’s chief rival Jannik Sinner is on the opposite side, ensuring the top two seeds could meet only in the later stages. No player other than Alcaraz or Sinner has won a tour-level title at an event featuring both of them since Andrey Rublev lifted the Madrid trophy in May 2024.
Rublev reached the second round with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Dutchman Jesper De Jong, while seventh seed Karen Khachanov needed three sets to beat Japanese lucky loser Shintaro Mochizuki. Other former champions in the draw include Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev, both setting up intriguing match-ups in the later rounds.
Last year’s quarter-finalist Jiri Lehecka also advanced comfortably past American Jenson Brooksby to secure his place in the second round.
