New Delhi. In the Qatar Open 2026 being played in Doha, world number one Carlos Alcaraz made a spectacular comeback after winning the Australian Open title and entered the second round by defeating Arthur Rinderknecht of France 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in the first round.
Alcaraz, who became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the title in Melbourne, faced a tough fight against 30th-ranked Rinderkneesh. Both sets were extremely competitive, but the Spanish star maintained his composure in the crucial moments.
Alcaraz said after the match
“This match was very difficult. Arthur is a very dangerous player. No one wants to play against him in the first round. I am happy that I remained calm in the difficult moments and stayed positive and played great tennis.”
Clash with Valentin Royer in the second round
Alcaraz will now face 60th-ranked Valentin Royer of France in the second round. In the first set, Alcaraz took the lead by earning a service break in the fifth game, while Rinderkanesh put up stiff resistance in the second set. However, in the tie-break, Alcaraz won the match with a brilliant forehand winner.
Yannick Sinner in the second half of the draw
Alcaraz’s main rivals Yannick Sinner are in the other half of the draw. Since Andrei Rublev won the title in Madrid in May 2024, no other player has won the title in any tournament featuring these two players.
Keeping an eye on Karen Khachanov, Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas
If Alcaraz wins the next round, he could face former champion Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. Seventh-seeded Khachanov defeated lucky loser Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan in three sets.
Whereas Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas has defeated Tunisia’s wild card player Moez Echargui and has set up a clash with 2023 champion Daniil Medvedev.
Jiri Lehka also made a great start
Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehka, who had ousted Alcaraz at the same tournament last year, made a strong start by defeating America’s Jenson Brooksby in straight sets in his first match. Now the excitement is going to increase even more with the second round of matches in Qatar Open.
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