Carlos Alcaraz secured a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Arthur Rinderknech in his first match since winning the Australian Open. The top seed had to save two set points in the second set against the unseeded Frenchman at the Qatar Open in Doha.

Alcaraz, 22, acknowledged the challenge, saying Rinderknech is 'a really dangerous player' that nobody wants to face in the first round. The Spaniard broke early to take a 3-2 lead in the opening set and eventually closed it out 6-4 with a deft volley. Rinderknech earned two set points at 6-5 in the second set but Alcaraz saved both before winning the tie-break 7-5.

This victory marked Alcaraz's 150th tour-level win on hard courts and extended his perfect 2026 season record to 8-0. He will face France's Valentin Royer in the second round after Royer defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-0, 6-3.