Italian qualifier Giulio Zeppieri aims to shock French Open favourite Carlos Alcaraz in Monday's first-round match.
The Spaniard is looking to become the first man since Rafael Nadal to defend his title in Paris and seeks to extend his seven-match winning streak at Roland Garros.
Match preview
© Imago
Alcaraz enters the defence of his French Open title in excellent form, having claimed the title in Monte Carlo, reached the final in Barcelona and won the Rome Masters, defeating friendly rival Jannik Sinner.
The world No. 2's performance leading into this year's event is undoubtedly stronger than last year, when injury left his level uncertain despite winning the title in Indian Wells.
Hoping to emulate retired compatriot Nadal by retaining the Roland Garros crown, the Monte Carlo and Rome champion is favoured for a deep run in Paris, meaning he starts Monday's contest with an expectation to avoid a surprise exit.
Beating Sinner in Italy extended the Spaniard's winning streak to six, and the second seed in Paris boasts a 15-1 record on clay ahead of his tournament opener against Zeppieri.
Success for Alcaraz on Monday would improve his record to 19-3 in Paris, surpassing his total wins at Wimbledon (18).
Nonetheless, the world No. 2 will not underestimate Zeppieri's chances, as the Italian enters his fourth main-draw appearance at the French Open without ever advancing past the second round.
The qualifier's best performance in Paris was in 2023, and the 23-year-old matched that showing 12 months later, although both of those opening wins in the tournament were followed by losses to Casper Ruud and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Facing a daunting task against the defending champion on Monday, the left-handed player hopes to achieve the biggest victory of his career against Alcaraz.
However, a 13-10 record across qualifying and main draws in various tournaments in 2025 suggests the world No. 306 may face significant challenges.
Nevertheless, the Italian can draw positives from taking a set off clay specialist Ruud in his previous Grand Slam match against a top-10 player two years ago, but competing against the in-form defending champion presents a different level of difficulty.
Head To Head
Umag (2022) - Semi-final: Alcaraz 7-5 4-6 6-3
Alcaraz and Zeppieri have previously met on the ATP Tour, with the Spanish sensation securing a semi-final victory in Umag.
Yet, the Italian pushed to a decider in that last-four match, which lasted two hours and 55 minutes, underscoring his ability to challenge top players.
While the qualifier has yet to defeat a top-10 player, having taken a set off Ruud two years ago and against Alcaraz in Umag in 2023 indicates he might make Monday's first-round match challenging for the French Open favourite.
We say: Alcaraz to win in four sets
Although Alcaraz is anticipated to secure an eighth consecutive win in Paris, his tendency to fluctuate in performance, combined with Zeppieri's apparent knack for stealing a set from elite players, could result in Monday's match requiring four sets.
