Carlos Alcaraz confirmed his place in the Qatar Open quarter-finals by defeating Valentin Royer in straight sets.
Alcaraz is looking to continue his unbeaten record in Qatar, but he has been made to work for his place in the tournament by Royer and Arthur Rinderknech.
Despite the scoreline against Royer, Alcaraz was not always at ease against the talented Frenchman, and the match looked like it could have gone to a deciding set.
Royer took a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Alcaraz bounced back to win 7-5. After the match, Royer sent a warning to the Spaniard at the net.
Valentin Royer sends Carlos Alcaraz a warning after their match
Royer has asserted himself as a top 100 player in the last few years, and he made further progress in his match against Alcaraz.
The Frenchman, who reached his first ATP-level final in 2025, made a good account of himself in Qatar and he has been rewarded with a career ranking high of World No. 53.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
After shaking hands with Alcaraz at the net, Royer said: “I’ll come for you and Jannik, don’t worry. Some day.”
Royer showed a level of confidence not often attributed to someone of his ranking against one of the best players in the world.
The Frenchman is yet to beat a top 10 player in his career, but that will surely come if he continues his progress.
Who will Carlos Alcaraz play next at the Qatar Open?
The Qatar Open might only be a ATP 500 event, but it’s arguably as strong a field of players as any Masters event.
After defeating Rinderknech and Royer, the world number one is set for a quarter-final clash with Karen Khachanov next.
What do you think is Carlos Alcaraz’s best surface and why?
Khachanov has been as high as world number eight and currently sits comfortably inside the top 20 of the rankings.
However, Alcaraz has an impressive record against the Russian star. He’s beaten Khachanov in each of their five meetings on the ATP Tour.
Their last came on the clay courts of Rome in 2025, where Alcaraz defeated Khachanov in a three set battle.
