Spanish third seed rolls past lucky loser in first match in three weeks
© Cédric Lecocq / FFTCarlos Alcaraz has swatted aside early suggestions of being underdone in a dominant first-round victory over American J.J. Wolf under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier on Sunday.
The third seed cantered to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 victory over the 107th-ranked lucky loser in his first event back following a right forearm injury.
Unlike the previous two years when he arrived all guns blazing and with trophies to boot, a big question mark lingered over the Spaniard’s fitness after he skipped Rome.
While no longer feeling pain, the compression sleeve he first wore in Madrid was a notable fixture when he took to the court on Sunday for his first meeting with the 25-year-old Wolf.
Wolf, who was searching for his first top-10 win, was called up for his second Roland-Garros main draw as a lucky loser. No longer sporting the flowing blond mullet hairdo of last year, he settled the quicker of the two with an immediate break.
It was a mere aberration as Alcaraz quickly hit his stride and the fist pumps increased in frequency with each authoritative step towards the finish line.
For the first time since his inaugural season on tour in 2021, Alcaraz arrived in Paris without a clay-court trophy to his name from the opening five months of the year.
Not so much the result of poor form, this was owing largely to a right ankle injury in Rio de Janeiro and that worrisome right forearm injury upon the switch to European clay, which forced him to miss three of four planned events.
While short on matches, after one hour and 51 minutes, he had resoundingly allayed any early concerns of being underdone.
“Before coming to Paris I practised this week with top players and I felt really well moving, hitting the balls,” he told Mats Wilander after the win. “My forearm is getting better and better… I feel like I didn't stop playing tennis so I think it's a really good point for me. I think I don't need too many matches to play my best.”
A wide grin at a query into what purpose the white sleeve on his forearm served quickly indicated it was more physiological than fashion.
Alcaraz was prepared to put his faith in the experts – namely his physiotherapist – on how exactly it worked.
“My physio told me it helps in certain way. I don't know which way, but he told me it helps,” he grinned. “He told me that there is no [need] to wear the sleeve, but I just wear it just in case, because everybody's told me that it helps my mind in a certain way just to try to forget everything in my forearm. That's why I'm wearing this.”
©Cédric Lecocq / FFTThe third seed’s average first-serve speed of 188km/h was 10km/h faster than Wolf’s while his average second serve was coming down at an average of 163km/h, almost 20km/h faster. His fastest serve of 214km/h was nothing to sneeze at either, despite being 9km/h slower than the American’s.
Alcaraz hammered 27 winners to his opponent’s 10, including 21 off the forehand, yet in a worrying omen for the rest of the field – including his second-round opponent, qualifier Jesper de Jong – he said there was still room to up the ante.
“Everybody told me that I must go to 100 per cent on every forehand, but I don't feel as comfortable as before, you know, just to play every forehand and forget my forearm,” he said.
“I'm trying to hit as many forehands as I can 100 per cent, but there are a few of them that I want to, you know, to stay easy, let's say.”
In the most open Roland-Garros field in years, Alcaraz served a timely reminder that if fighting fit and with room to work his way into the second week he shaped up as arguably the man to beat.
While attention will shift to the early form of defending champion Novak Djokovic, unseeded 14-time winner Rafael Nadal and world No.2 Jannik Sinner in the coming two days, Alcaraz has the advantage of an extra day to rest his arm before a second-round meeting with Dutchman Jesper de Jong.
He diplomatically declared he would cheer for neither Nadal or fourth seed Alexander Zverev in their opening clash as they were two of his chief rivals, but did clarify a planned Olympic tandem for Team Spain.
“If everything goes well, we are going to play doubles together here,” he said of a partnership with Nadal.
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
