Defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz showcased his trademark flair and resilience on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday, overcoming Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 to book his place in the third round.
The Spaniard delighted the Parisian crowd with two jaw-dropping shots around the net post during the encounter, reminding fans why he remains a crowd favourite and a major title contender. After dropping the second set, Alcaraz regained control in emphatic fashion and now awaits the winner of the match between Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard and Damir Dzumhur, set for Friday.
However, the biggest surprise of the day came from Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where two-time finalist Casper Ruud suffered a shock exit at the hands of Portugal’s Nuno Borges. The No.7 seed and former world No.2 looked physically below par and couldn’t recover after a solid start, falling 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0. Borges, Portugal’s top-ranked player, advances to a third-round clash with Australia’s Alexei Popyrin.
Popyrin, the No.25 seed, reached the third round at Roland-Garros for the first time with a straight-sets win over Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. It’s another significant milestone for the Aussie on the Parisian clay.
Elsewhere, Italy continued to impress, with Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti cruising through their respective second-round matches. No.8 seed Zheng Qinwen also impressed, dropping just five games in her second-round outing on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
With surprises already unfolding and top names hitting their stride, the first week at Roland-Garros promises high drama and world-class tennis.
