The Spaniard brought joy to the crowds on Chatrier with a quintessential performance
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFTCarlos Alcaraz (2) bt Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
The defending men’s singles champion has not lost before the second round in Paris since 2004. Carlos Alcaraz will have learned a bit about potential pitfalls from his coach about that subject.
It was 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero who fell to Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round 21 years ago, and when Alcaraz stepped onto Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday to face Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, he appeared dead set on avoiding a similar fate.
He did just that, stretching his Roland-Garros winning streak to nine as he moved into the third round for the fifth consecutive year in Paris.
Scroll down for more about Alcaraz’s 20th career victory on the Parisian clay.
Marozsan’s reputation as a party crasher on tour started to grow after his ATP debut in 2023, when he upset none other than Alcaraz in Rome. Since then the Hungarian has racked up five further top 10 wins on tour, which might explain the sense of urgency that Alcaraz played with in the opening moments of their third career meeting.
A fresh haircut and clean shave was an early tip-off: the Spaniard would be starting on time. The defending champion got off to a scorching start, breaking twice to race out to a 4-0 lead, before the 25-year-old Marozsan could tick off his first game.
With 26 minutes elapsed Alcaraz slid across the forecourt and delicately bunted a forehand winner past Marozsan to lock up his third break and claim the set, 6-1.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Alcaraz, who found himself down a break early in the second as Marozsan punched back, his unpredictable game keeping Alcaraz off balance for a spell.
More than a spell, in fact.
Alcaraz tried to wrestle back control, but Marozsan saved five break points across his first three service games of the set and ended up hanging on to take the stanza, 6-4, to level at a set apiece.
But the world No.56’s momentum would prove fleeting. Alcaraz dialled in the laser focus in set three, dropped just four points on serve and steamrolled Marozsan. He won 26 of 36 points to take the power back, with the backbreaker occurring in the fourth game of the set as Alcaraz, sprinting to his left, flicked an around-the-netpost winner that kissed the sideline.
“You are always going to see something special,” said 1993 Roland-Garros runner-up Mary Joe Fernandez, who commentated the match for TNT, as the live feed panned to a shot of former NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. gawking incredulously at Alcaraz’s handiwork from his courtside seats.
The defending champion, now pressing the accelerator, was off to the races.
After an early trade of breaks in the fourth set the 22-year-old found another gear and finished off his 20th career Roland-Garros win in style, taking the final four games on the trot to lock up the victory in two hours and nine minutes.
“He is so fast, he anticipates so well, and then he has such great feel and control,” said Fernandez, after Alcaraz played a pair of points worthy of the highlight reel to break for 5-2 in set four.
“The total package,” added ATP player Chris Eubanks, who shared the booth with Fernandez.
Indeed.
Alcaraz completely flipped the script after dropping the second set, winning 28 of 34 first-serve points and claiming 57 of 85 overall points in the third and fourth set combined. He hit 23 winners and just eight unforced errors across sets three and four, and converted five of seven break point opportunities in that stretch.
Alcaraz has hit 72 winners and committed 48 unforced errors through two impressive rounds in Paris.
Since the turn of the century, only King of Clay Rafael Nadal has claimed 20 main draw wins in Paris faster than Alcaraz. Nadal won each of his first 20 matches played at Roland-Garros, while Alcaraz joins Gustavo Kuerten and Ferrero by claiming his 20th Roland-Garros win from 23 matches.
Alcaraz (86.9%, 20-3) only trails two men’s singles players in the Open era for winning percentage in the men’s singles at Roland Garros (minimum 20 matches)– Nadal (96.55) and Bjorn Borg (96.08).
On his overall performance: “I started pretty well. In the first set I had really high confidence. I think in the second set he started to play much better, very aggressive. He didn’t miss at all so it was a little bit difficult to deal with his game in his second set, but I’m really happy with how I stayed strong and refreshed in the third set. I started to play better and better and it has been a good last two sets.”
On how he enjoys playing at Roland-Garros: “Most of the time I’m trying to not think about anything else but enjoying playing. Being in this kind of court, Court Philippe-Chatrier. It is a really beautiful court, so I have to enjoy it once I step on the court. Not thinking about anything else but trying to show good tennis, trying to make the people happy to watch my matches as well – that’s the way I enjoy playing tennis."
On what Court Philippe-Chatrier means to him: “I had really great moments in this court, bad moments as well, which I learned from, but I just love playing here. I think it suits my tennis.”
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFT
©Clément Mahoudeau / FFT