French Open: Alcaraz marches on as Ruud, injured, is defeated; Tsitsipas shocked by world No. 167

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz navigated a mid-match challenge to secure his place in the French Open's third round, defeating Hungary's Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. This victory marks Alcaraz's 20th win at Roland Garros and his 17th in 18 clay-court matches this season.

Reflecting on the match, the 22-year-old Spaniard acknowledged Marozsan's resurgence in the second set: "In the second set, he started to play much better and he was really aggressive. He didn't miss at all so it was a little difficult to deal with his game in the second set." Alcaraz, however, regained composure, stating, "But I'm really happy I stayed strong and refreshed myself. I started to play better and better which helped me have a really good last two sets."

Alcaraz's path to defending his title appears more navigable following the unexpected exits of two prominent contenders. Norway's Casper Ruud, a two-time French Open finalist, succumbed to Portugal's Nuno Borges 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-0. Ruud revealed post-match that a persistent left knee injury, which had troubled him throughout the clay season, hindered his performance.

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"For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been struggling with knee pain," he admitted. Despite medical treatment during the match, Ruud's mobility was visibly compromised.

Ruud also criticized the ATP's ranking system, describing it as a "rat race" that pressures players to compete even when injured. "You are kind of forcing players to show up injured or sick," he commented, highlighting the challenges athletes face in maintaining rankings amidst physical ailments.

Other matches

In another surprising turn, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2021 French Open finalist, was defeated by Italian qualifier Matteo Gigante, ranked 167th globally, with a scoreline of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4. This marks Tsitsipas's earliest exit at Roland Garros since 2018. Post-match, Tsitsipas candidly reflected on his performance, attributing the loss to personal shortcomings: "I have to give credit to my opponent, he played incredible tennis," he said. "He handled the pressure moments very well."

Gigante's victory propels him into the third round, where he will face American 13th seed Ben Shelton. Meanwhile, Alcaraz is set to play against unseeded Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia, who advanced after defeating France's 31st seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

But for now, Alcaraz remains focused on his title defense, aiming to become the first man since Rafael Nadal in 2020 to retain the Roland Garros crown.