Carlos Alcaraz is back in Doha, cool and efficient after another Grand Slam week and already dodging headline-sized expectations.
The world No. 1 arrived fresh from Melbourne and was scheduled to take on Arthur Rinderknech in his Doha opener, with a possible big showdown against Jannik Sinner looming in the draw and plenty of questions about focus and form.
Alcaraz Shrugs Off Sinner Final Talk
Obviously I had to be prepared for everything.
Carlos Alcaraz
At a pre-tournament press conference the buildup to a potential Alcaraz versus Jannik Sinner final was a recurring theme, but the Spaniard kept the tone light and pragmatic while acknowledging the conversation in media and among fans.
A reporter asked whether the inevitability narrative pleased him or added stress, and Alcaraz pointed to the uniqueness of every match and the difficulty of assumptions about outcomes in a stacked 500-level draw in Doha.
The draw does read like a who’s-who of hard-court firepower, with names such as Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov and rising talents like Jakub Mensik included, while others originally scheduled, like Bublik, pulled out ahead of the event.
Alcaraz emphasized a match-by-match approach and the simple ambition to go as far as possible in the tournament, noting that the path starts with his opener against Arthur Rinderknech and the immediate task at hand.
History with Rinderknech gives Alcaraz a bit of breathing room; their ATP Tour meetings have tilted decisively in the Spaniard’s favor and he owns a clean record in their encounters on the circuit.
Royer Tests The King, Alcaraz Answers
The round of 16 brought a livelier test than some expected when Valentin Royer pushed Alcaraz and even cracked a cheeky line about targeting both Alcaraz and Sinner one day, leaving the court with smiles and competitive sparks.
Alcaraz saw the Frenchman raise his level after a 6-2 opening set, then had to summon a late surge to close out a 6-2, 7-5 win in a 96-minute second-round match that tested his closing instincts and patience.
The world number one reeled off five consecutive games from 2-5 in the second set and turned the tide with a pair of spectacular passing shots to move 6-5, converting four of eight break opportunities along the way in a tidy finish.
That victory extended his momentum, placing him on a nine-match winning streak and underlining a season that has followed his major triumph in Australia with consistent, high-level results on hard courts.
Alcaraz admitted there were fleeting moments when the match could have slipped into a third set, but he stressed the importance of finding rhythm and solutions under pressure and staying engaged point by point.
Statistically Alcaraz’s dominance on outdoor hard surfaces is remarkable; he sits on a 27-match winning streak on outdoor hard courts, a run that stretches back through the 2025 North American swing and illustrates his sustained form.
What Doha Reveals About Form And Focus
Alcaraz’s next test in Doha is Karen Khachanov, a former champion in the Qatari capital who represents a big-serving, physical challenge and a rematch canvas where the Spaniard holds an advantage in their Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings.
The head-to-head reads strongly for Alcaraz, who leads the pair 5-0, including their last hard-court clash in Beijing, and will look to maintain that superiority as the tournament narrows toward the business end.
Valentin Royer, for his part, leaves Doha with reasons to smile, having climbed seven spots to sit at No. 53 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings after causing a few tense moments for the top seed and proving his potential on the stage.
Beyond results, Doha is shaping up as a useful measuring stick for Alcaraz after he became the youngest man to complete all four Grand Slam titles earlier in the season, and the tournament will show how quickly he can convert peak form into another trophy.
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Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
