Carlos Alcaraz began his 2023 Italian Open campaign with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 victory over fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos Vinolas. The 20-year-old’s exceptional performance included winning 34 out of 38 points on his serve and hitting 23 winners, far exceeding his unforced error count of 10. With this win, Alcaraz will return to the top of the ATP rankings, replacing Novak Djokovic, and will become the top seed at the French Open for the first time in his career.
Alcaraz reacts to being the top seed at a Grand Slam
In a post-match interview, Alcaraz revealed that being the top seed at a Major was “crazy” and something he could not have imagined years ago. Despite acknowledging the achievement, he maintained that his primary focus is always on his game and individual matches. He said, “It doesn’t change too much to be No. 1 or No. 2 seed, I just focus on the tournament, on my game, on every match and that’s something that I try not to think about but of course, it’s something great, to be No. 1.”
Upcoming matches at the Italian Open
Alcaraz’s next opponent in the third round of the Italian Open will be either 32nd seed Jiri Lehecka or Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan. Lehecka took the first set 6-4 against Marozsan before the latter fought back to win the second set 6-1. The decisive set was interrupted by rain, with Marozsan leading 2-1. Alcaraz has yet to face either player, and the winner will go on to play either the 15th seed Borna Coric or Thiago Monteiro in the fourth round.
Impressive 2023 season for Alcaraz
Alcaraz has enjoyed a remarkable 2023 season, boasting an impressive record of 30 wins from 32 matches. He has claimed four titles, including two Masters 1000s in Indian Wells and Madrid, along with the Argentina Open and the Barcelona Open. As the World No. 1, Alcaraz will begin his 23rd week at the top of the ATP rankings when the newest rankings are released.
