Alcaraz cruised in French Open first round, surprised at his own level!
Defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz launched his title defense with an efficient straight-set victory over Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri on Monday. Despite a dominant performance that saw him dispatch his opponent in under two hours, the world number two admitted he had "expected a worse level" from himself, signaling his high standards as he aims for consecutive Roland Garros crowns.
Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning French Open champion, began his quest to retain the Roland Garros title with a commanding performance on Monday. The 22-year-old Spaniard, a four-time major winner, recorded an efficient 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory against Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri, wrapping up the match in just one hour and 56 minutes.
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Despite the seemingly smooth start, Alcaraz candidly admitted he was surprised by his own level of play. "I expected a worse level for me, honestly," the world number two stated in his post-match comments. He acknowledged the inherent challenges of the opening round in any tournament, noting, "The first round for every tournament is never easy to adapt your game to the conditions and get used to it." However, he expressed pride in his performance, adding, "It is great to have these feelings in the first round."
Alcaraz is aiming to become the first man since his compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2020 to successfully defend the Roland Garros title. His impressive clay-court record since May of last year — with 27 wins in 29 matches on the surface — underscores his proficiency on the red dirt.
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His 2025 season has been a "rollercoaster," as he described it, featuring both significant triumphs and unexpected early exits. In the lead-up to the French Open, Alcaraz secured titles in Monte Carlo and Rome. His only defeat in 16 clay-court matches this year came at the Barcelona Open, where he finished as runner-up to Holger Rune. On hard courts, however, the season has been more challenging, highlighted by a surprising opening loss to David Goffin at the Miami Open in March, with his only hard-court success being a victory at the Rotterdam Open.
Despite the fluctuations, Alcaraz believes he has found his rhythm. "Right now I think I found a really good path again. I think I'm just starting to get it, feeling more comfortable approaching the matches," he explained. "Once I start the matches, I think I'm just keeping the high level in the whole match and during the whole tournament."
With an impressive 19-3 overall record at the French Open, Alcaraz will continue his title defense in the second round against Hungarian Fabian Marozsan.
