Having laid down a marker to start his French Open title defence on Monday, Carlos Alcaraz returns to the court on Wednesday in the second round against Fabian Marozsan.
The Spanish sensation's performance continued his impressive form on the dirt this season, and he bids to continue an undefeated sequence at Roland Garros against an opponent who previously got the better of the world No. 2 on the surface.
Match preview
© Imago
Alcaraz began his Roland Garros title defence in style on Monday, with an admirable showing to beat Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, extending his winning streak in Paris.
Including last year's title run, the second seed has secured eight consecutive victories at the French Open after his latest success, which sets up his forthcoming contest with Marozsan.
Beating Zeppieri means the only defeat the 22-year-old has suffered on clay in 2025 was to Holger Rune in Barcelona, a setback sandwiched between title runs in Monte Carlo and Rome, where he defeated friendly rival Jannik Sinner in the final big tournament before his Paris return.
Having entered the second Grand Slam of the year at 15-1 on the dirt, the 2024 Roland Garros champion notched his 16th clay-court victory of the year in Monday's win, and the manner of his execution against the qualifier was striking.
While Alcaraz was backed for success, not letting up in a match lasting just under two hours possibly sent warning signs across the draw as the Spaniard, whose 84.4% win rate at Grand Slams has taken him above Pete Sampras's 84.2%, bids for his 66th victory at majors against Wednesday's opponent.
It will be fascinating to see if Marozsan mounts resistance against the in-form player on clay, seeking to outdo his previous best showing in the French capital.
The Hungarian beat Mikhail Kukushkin on his tournament debut 12 months ago but fell in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov in the following round—an outcome that appears feasible ahead of a third meeting with Alcaraz on the tour.
While the 25-year-old enters the second-round contest as the underdog, reaching the semi-finals in Munich and the third round in Rome have highlighted the world No. 56's competence on the surface, heading into his uphill task against the second seed.
Including matches in qualifying, the Hungarian star holds an 8-5 record on clay this season but must play at a significantly high level to outlast the defending champion.
Success for Marozsan would see him surpass last year's round-two run and match his third-round progress at consecutive Australian Open participations in 2024 and this year, though it is easier said than done.
Tournament so far
Fabian Marozsan:
First round: vs. Luca Nardi 6-2 6-3 7-6[3]
Carlos Alcaraz:
First round: vs. Giulio Zeppieri 6-3 6-4 6-2
Head To Head
Indian Wells (2024) - Fourth round: Alcaraz 6-3 6-3
Rome Masters (2023) - Third round: Marozsan 6-3 7-6(4)
Alcaraz and Marozsan have faced off twice on the ATP Tour, with the Hungarian notably winning their previous clay-court meeting in Rome two years ago.
While the Spanish sensation avenged that loss at last year's Indian Wells, a history of defeating the second seed on the dirt should boost the 25-year-old's self-belief ahead of their round-two matchup.
However, the Hungarian's record against top-10 players leaves much to be desired, underscored by losing seven of his last nine against the elite, having previously claimed four victories from five, one of which was that success over Alcaraz in Rome.
We say: Alcaraz to win in four sets
Despite Marozsan's previous success over Alcaraz on clay, the Spaniard's form leading into the second Slam of the year and his tournament-opening victory should have sent warning bells to opponents in his path.
Although his Hungarian opponent could claim a set, the defending champion means business on the dirt this year, and we expect him to get the job done in four.
