Carlos Alcaraz kickstarted his French Open title defence with a straight-sets victory over qualifier Giulio Zeppieri in his first match at Roland-Garros on Monday. (As It Happened | More Tennis News)
Alcaraz, who is aiming to become the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2019-20 to successfully defend their title in Paris, earned a 6-3 6-4 6-2 win over the Italian.
The 22-year-old came into the tournament with confidence, reaching seven ATP-Tour level finals and losing just two, and he continued that momentum against Zeppieri.
Alcaraz grabbed the first break of the match in the fourth game of the first set, claiming the early advantage but was made to work in the second.
He traded blows with Zeppieri before breaking his opponent in the seventh game, with Alcaraz then stomping his authority in the third set as he surged towards the finish line.
After winning the first two games, Alcaraz found another fifth game before sealing the victory with a fierce ace.Â
He will next continue his title defence against Fabian Marozsan in the second round.Â
Data Debrief: Alcaraz continues clay-court dominance
Alcaraz has been an imperious force on the clay courts across the world, and he ensured he maintained his dominance with another fine display here in Paris.Â
He has now won 16 of his 17 matches on clay this season, and he ensured there would not be an early exit for the defending champion at Roland-Garros.Â
Indeed, the reigning men's singles champion at the French Open is now 53-0 in opening matches the following year - it is the only grand slam event where the defending men's champion is undefeated in opening their title defence.
