World number one Carlos Alcaraz made a winning return to action on Tuesday, defeating France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in the first round of the Qatar Open in Doha.
Fresh from completing a career Grand Slam at the Australian Open, the Spaniard overcame a stern challenge from the 30th-ranked Rinderknech in a tightly contested encounter.
“It was really difficult. Arthur is a really dangerous player. Nobody wants to play against him in the first round,” Alcaraz said after the match. “I’m happy with the level. I’m happy that I got through difficult moments in the match. I stayed calm and positive, and played great tennis.”
Alcaraz secured the first set with a crucial break in the fifth game. However, Rinderknech mounted strong resistance in the second set, earning his first break points while Alcaraz served to force a tie-break. The Spaniard saved both and sealed victory in the breaker with a blistering forehand down the line on match point.
He will next face another Frenchman, Valentin Royer, ranked 60th in the world.
Alcaraz’s chief rival, Jannik Sinner, is positioned on the opposite side of the draw. Notably, no player other than Alcaraz or Sinner has claimed a tour-level title at an event featuring both since Andrey Rublev triumphed in Madrid in May 2024.
Rublev advanced to the second round in Doha with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Dutchman Jesper De Jong.
Elsewhere, seventh seed Karen Khachanov battled past Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki in three sets, while Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Tunisian wild card Moez Echargui to set up a clash with 2023 champion Daniil Medvedev.
Czech player Jiri Lehecka, who eliminated Alcaraz at this tournament last year, also progressed comfortably with a straight-sets victory over American Jenson Brooksby.
Alcaraz, who exited at the quarter-final stage on his Qatar Open debut last year, will be aiming for a deeper run as he continues his dominant start to the 2026 season.
