Alcaraz saves 2 set points in Doha opener, but spins magic for 150th hard-court win

  • Posted: Feb 17, 2026

Carlos Alcaraz ensured he kept pace with rival Jannik Sinner’s fast start at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, though the top seed was forced to dig deeper in his opening test on Tuesday in Doha.

Competing in his first outing since becoming the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, the 22-year-old battled past Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 7-6(5). Alcaraz saved two set points on serve in a tense second set before prevailing in the tie-break to secure his 150th tour-level hard-court win and extending his flawless start to the 2026 season to 8-0.

“It was really difficult,” Alcaraz said after his one hour, 47-minute win. “Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round… I’m happy with the level. I’m happy that I got through difficult moments in the match. I’m happy that I stayed calm [and] positive, and played great tennis.”

Alcaraz showcased the full spectrum of his shotmaking, but it was his signature drop volley that stole the spotlight. He struck three exquisite winners with delicate touch in the opening set alone and won an impressive 76 per cent (16/21) of his net points overall.

In the second set, Rinderknech raised his intensity and served with precision to push the match into a tie-break. The 6’5” Frenchman could not carry that momentum any further, however, as Alcaraz tightened his focus to secure his fourth straight tie-break victory against him.

This week, Alcaraz is aiming to improve on last year’s debut result in Doha, where he fell to Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals. The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will next meet Frenchman Valentin Royer. Alcaraz can only meet second seed Sinner — who surged past Tomas Machac on Monday — in the championship match, which would be the 17th chapter of their thrilling rivalry.

Before then, Alcaraz could face a quarter-final showdown with Karen Khachanov — one of three former champions in the draw — after the 2024 winner battled past lucky loser Shintaro Mochizuki 6-1, 3-6, 6-4. The seventh-seeded Khachanov meets Marton Fucsovics in the second round.

Defending champion Andrey Rublev later shook off a sluggish start before powering to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Jesper de Jong in his opening match. The fifth seed, who also lifted the Doha trophy in 2020 when it was an ATP 250, will next meet Fabian Marozsan, who dispatched Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-1.

Stefanos Tsitsipas ignited his Doha campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Tunisian wild card Moez Echargui, booking a popcorn second-round clash with 2023 winner and longtime rival Daniil Medvedev. Tsitsipas trails 4-10 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, though they have not met since Shanghai in 2024.

Jiri Lehecka, Zizou Bergs, and Zhang Zhizhen also all advanced on Tuesday. Lehecka eased past Jenson Brooksby 6-3, 6-3, Bergs overcame Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, and Zhang downed Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4, 6-4.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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