World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz survived a stern test from Arthur Rinderknech, prevailing 6-4, 7-6 (5) in his Qatar Open first-round clash. The Spaniard saved two set points on serve before mastering the tie-break for a landmark 150th hard-court victory.
At 22, Alcaraz’s poise under pressure shone brightly. ‘This was a real battle,’ he admitted. ‘Arthur’s danger lies in his power game. I focused on my strengths, remained patient, and delivered when it mattered most.’
With last year’s Doha quarters in the rearview, Alcaraz targets more as he meets Valentin Royer next. A bracket breakdown hints at Khachanov in the quarters and Sinner in the final.
Khachanov, last year’s champ, outlasted Shintaro Mochizuki 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, setting up a duel with Marton Fucsovics.
Defending titlist Andrey Rublev shook off rust to beat Jesper de Jong 6-4, 6-3. The fifth seed, Doha winner in 2020 too, confronts Fabian Marozsan, who steamrolled Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-1.
Stefanos Tsitsipas kicked off with a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over Moez Echargui, locking in a second-round blockbuster against 2023 victor Daniil Medvedev.
Alcaraz’s opener win injects momentum into an already stacked field, priming the tournament for elite showdowns.