Alcaraz Secures Convincing Win in Doha

Carlos Alcaraz's return to competition after his Australian Open title came with a solid victory over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, his 150th on hard court, which secured his spot in the second round of the Doha tournament. Alcaraz, the third player of the 2000s to achieve 150 hard-court wins after Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime, will play Valentin Royer on Wednesday in the final match of the day. Rinderknech, an awkward opponent despite his modest resume—two unsuccessful finals, the most notable being last year's Paris Masters 1000 final he lost to his cousin Valentin Vacherot—never managed to break Alcaraz's serve. This was Alcaraz's eighth consecutive victory in 2026. Rinderknech took more risks with a more aggressive style of play, relying on his serve and volley. The Spaniard, the world number one and the youngest man in tennis to win all four Grand Slam titles, broke the Frenchman's, ranked 30th in the world, serve in the fifth game after being down 0-40 himself. Alcaraz, who had not stepped on the court for two weeks since the Melbourne final, won 6-4, 7-6(5) after one hour and 48 minutes. Especially in the second set, when his opponent had two match points with Alcaraz serving, he overcame the setback. It was always a Spanish victory, though not an easy one. The Murcian, world number one and the youngest male tennis player to achieve the Grand Slam, broke the Frenchman's serve in the fifth game after being down 0-40. The Spaniard, who had been off the court for two weeks since the Melbourne final, won 6-4, 7-6(5) in one hour and 48 minutes. This flustered Alcaraz, who could not seal the break. He was in danger at 6-5 when the Frenchman had two set points that the Spaniard saved. He went up 4-2 and maintained the lead until the end to win the set. After that, the situation was more balanced. It was his fifth win in five matches against Rinderknech, ending the same way as the previous four occasions. Now Alcaraz awaits another Frenchman, Valentin Royer, in his attempt to achieve another success and increase his lead as world number one over Italian Jannik Sinner. At seven in Australia time, he secured this first win in Doha. He won a match but then lost to Czech Jiri Lehecka. Carlos Alcaraz's return to competition following his coronation as Australian Open champion was accompanied by a solid victory over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, his 150th on hard court, which took him to the second round of the Doha tournament. Alcaraz, the third player of the 2000s to achieve 150 wins on hard court after Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime on the circuit, will play on Wednesday in the final match of the day against Valentin Royer. Rinderknech, an awkward opponent despite his thin resume—two unsuccessful finals, the most relevant being last year's Paris Masters 1000 final he lost to his cousin Valentin Vacherot—never managed to take control of Alcaraz's serve. It was his eighth consecutive victory so far in 2026. Rinderknech took more risks with a more aggressive game, serve and volley.