Alcaraz enjoys his unbeaten record: "I hope to continue with this streak"
The man from Murcia made his debut on the right foot at the ATP in Doha and maintains his undefeated record this season: eight victories in eight matches. Valentin Royer awaits him tomorrow.
If anyone had doubts about how Carlos Alcaraz would be after these two weeks of rest, the World No. 1 took care of dispelling them in a couple of sets against Arthur Rinderknech. Another triumph and a ticket to the round of 16 in Doha.
And it is normal to doubt when you come from winning the Australian Open, with all that entails, to then land in your second tournament of the season knowing that the most important event of this first quarter is already more than surpassed. But this Carlos Alcaraz does not stop, he is insatiable, always finding the motivation to take another step. At the ATP 500 in Doha, we saw him this afternoon making a notable debut, defeating Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets, who came close to forcing a third set. However, that's when the best version of the player from Murcia appeared to close the door on the danger.
"It was a tough match, the first match always is. I know Arthur well; he is a player who is always dangerous, especially if you face him in the early rounds - he's one of the opponents you'd rather avoid," confessed the World No. 1 in the post-match interview after leaving the scoreboard at 6-4 and 7-6. A correct, hard-fought match where he never allowed his opponent to be superior, beyond that moment of suspense when the Frenchman came close to taking the second set. Samuel López's protege drew on his resources and, thanks to a brutal serving percentage, secured his eighth victory of the season.
"I am happy with the level I showed on the court, pleased to have overcome this first hurdle, to have managed well the challenging moments that arose during the match; that's where I have been the calmest and most positive. I believe I played a good level of tennis, happy with the victory, and I hope to continue this streak," added Alcaraz, who will have to face another French player tomorrow: Valentin Royer. He will be a clear favorite, much more than today, although the schedule has once again placed him in these later rounds that suit him so well. Another test to see how far he can continue advancing in Doha.
Alcaraz reaches 150 victories on hard courts
Although he probably didn't have the data in mind, ATP colleagues quickly reminded us on social media of the achievement Carlitos had after defeating Rinderknech. At 22 years old, his count of victories on hard courts rises to 150, not bad for a guy who was once said to risk performing better on clay than on other surfaces.
In the midst of 2026 and already with a long journey on the circuit, Carlitos' numbers are so spectacular that one doesn't know where to place him anymore: 150 victories on hard courts, 103 on clay, and 35 on grass. Which Alcaraz do you prefer? It doesn't matter because he has already proven to be a champion on any surface and will continue to do so. Now it's time to focus on the medium-term and think about all the good things he can take from this week in Doha, such as adding another trophy to his collection. Right now, he's just four steps away from the goal.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz disfruta de su invicto: “Espero seguir con este racha”