The match on 17/2 marked Alcaraz's first return to action since winning the Australian Open and becoming the youngest player to complete a career grand slam. The 22-year-old saved two set points late in the second set before winning the tie-break, reaching 150 hard court victories on the ATP Tour and extending his 2026 season record to 8-0.

Alcaraz hits a forehand during his first-round match against Rinderknech at the Qatar Open, on Center Court in Doha, Qatar on 17/2. *Photo: Reuters*

"This was a very tough match," Alcaraz shared after his 1 hour 47 minute victory. "Arthur is a dangerous opponent. No one wants to face him in the first round. I am happy to have overcome difficult moments, remaining calm to play my best tennis."

Alcaraz displayed a versatile attacking skillset, particularly his signature drop shots at the net. In the first set alone, he hit three well-placed winners and won 76% of his net points (16/21).

In the second set, Rinderknech increased pressure with effective service games, forcing the match into a tie-break. However, the 1.96m tall Frenchman could not maintain momentum as Alcaraz played with focus to secure his fourth consecutive tie-break victory against Rinderknech.

This week, Alcaraz aims to improve on his performance from last year's debut, where he exited in the quarterfinals against Jiri Lehecka. The world number one will face Valentin Royer in the next round. He could potentially meet second seed Jannik Sinner if both reach the final, marking the 17th chapter in the rivalry between the two strongest players in the world.

Earlier, Alcaraz might encounter Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals. The 2024 champion defeated Shintaro Mochizuki 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in the first round. The seventh seed will play Marton Fucsovics in the second round.

Defending champion Andrey Rublev also started slowly before accelerating to defeat Jesper de Jong 6-4, 6-3. The fifth seed won the Doha title in 2020 when the tournament was an ATP 250 level event. Rublev will face Fabian Marozsan, who beat Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-1.

Stefanos Tsitsipas opened his campaign in Doha with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Tunisian wildcard Moez Echargui. In the second round, he will have a notable rematch with the 2023 champion and long-standing rival Daniil Medvedev. Tsitsipas currently trails 4-10 in their head-to-head record, and they have not met on court since Shanghai in 2024.

Vy Anh