Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion at the French Open, was pushed to the limit in the second set of his opening match. He fought valiantly and earned himself a place in the final three. In the only match on Monday’s schedule, the Spanish tennis star was up against Hungarian prodigy Fábián Marozsán. He won decisively, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. The meeting, held on the hallowed clay courts of Roland Garros, was the first ever between tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz and the legendary champion.
Alcaraz started the match with swagger, showing his full repertoire of shot-making to run away with the first set. In the second set, Alcaraz had a moment of madness. Marozsán pounced onto the back pass and equalized the game. Though the drop was disappointing, Alcaraz regrouped and regained his rhythm. This renewed vigor helped him launch a vintage two set climbback in sets three and four.
“I had really high confidence. In the second set, he started to play much better, really aggressively and didn’t miss at all.” – Carlos Alcaraz
In his post-match press conference, Alcaraz said he was pleased with his overall performance, especially the way he started the match. “I played a great first set,” he said, looking back on what became a one-set blitz to victory. His determination and resilience were evident as he analyzed the second set’s challenges, stating, “It was a little bit difficult dealing with his game in the second set, but I was pleased to stay strong and refresh in the third set and I started to play better and better.”
At times during the quarterfinal match, Alcaraz’s physical condition seemed unstoppable. He did so playing without the leg strapping he had used while finding his way to the title at the Italian Open. The young athlete appears to be completely past the adductor injury that kept him out of play in Madrid last month. Whatever the case, this recovery is an encouraging sign for his next competitions and beyond.
Throughout the match, Alcaraz demonstrated remarkable agility and speed, delivering spectacular shots that thrilled spectators. A third creation caught the exact moment when Medvedev hit an insane one-handed backhand passing shot to win the point. It barely cleared the net and dropped right on the singles line!
The ceremonial atmosphere at Roland Garros was electrifying. To get the crowd roundly and raucously behind him, Alcaraz directed them in an impassioned communal singalong to the pasodoble “En Er Mundo.” As he sang along, fans enthusiastically responded with an animated “Olééé!” creating a memorable interaction between the player and supporters.
As the tournament progresses, Alcaraz, seeded second behind Jannik Sinner, prepares to face Bosnia’s Damir Džumhur in the third round this Friday. His ambition remains clear: to become the first man since Rafael Nadal in 2020 to defend his French Open title successfully.
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