Carlos Alcaraz has secured safe passage into the second round of the French Open after his win over Giulio Zeppieri.
Coco Gauff thinks Alcaraz will win the French Open, where the Spaniard is the second seed behind Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz beat Sinner in the Italian’s first tournament back from his three-month suspension earlier this month, winning their Italian Open final.
The Rome champion defeated Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in Paris, setting up a second round clash with Fabian Marozsan.
He is searching for a fifth career Grand Slam title, having won the French Open in 2024 alongside Wimbledon, with Sinner winning the Australian Open and US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz backs ‘really talented’ Flavio Cobolli for big success
Pat Cash thinks Jack Draper can challenge Alcaraz and Sinner in the near future, with the Spaniard now sharing his verdict on another player who is destined for big things.
Speaking after his latest victory, Alcaraz said of Italian youngster Flavio Cobolli: “He is a really nice person.
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“He has the level to be there. He is a really great player as well. I was lucky to have practised with him a lot of times, he came to the academy throughout the pre-season there for a few weeks.
“He couldn’t do it last pre-season because he got injured, but I am just really, really happy with everything he is doing lately.
“I am really happy about his title in Hamburg recently. Two titles already in this season, so I am pretty sure he is going to keep building his path and keep growing as a person and a player. He is going to become a really good tennis player.
“I am really happy with the progress. He has got it. He is a really talented player. He has really good hands and touch. Physically he is great as well, moving great.
“He was struggling with finding the right shots in the right moment, he was probably a little bit inconsistent – like me sometimes! But I think he is getting that and he is becoming a great player.”
Who is ATP Tour number 26 Flavio Cobolli?
At the age of just 22, Alcaraz already boasts 19 ATP Tour titles, three of which have arrived in 2025 alone.
The Spaniard has won on clay in Rome and Monte Carlo, as well as emerging victorious on the hard courts of Rotterdam.
But Cobolli is also having a season to remember, with the 23-year-old clinching clay titles in Hamburg and Bucharest.
They represent the Italian’s only career titles to date, but more success can certainly be expected in the years to come.
Cobolli is currently ranked 26th in the world, a career high, and was drawn to face 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic in round one of the French Open.
He entered Roland Garros with a 14-12 win-loss record for the season, having just beaten Andrey Rublev in the Hamburg final.
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