Carlos Alcaraz made his way into the Roland Garros second round in a hurry, brushing aside J.J Wolf in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1.
Showing no signs of rust, he dispatched the 25-year-old with a complete performance, serving well, returning with fury, and unleashing a few of his patented power forehands as he eased his way back from injury.
However, already his attention has been captured by something else going on in Paris, which dominated the headlines as soon as the full French Open draw was released.
After all, today marks Rafael Nadal‘s return to action at Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz previews Rafael Nadal vs Alexander Zverev
Speaking to Tennis Channel just yesterday, the affable Carlos Alcaraz once again smiled his way through the interview with the two pundits.
And understandably so, after his emphatic victory over the aforementioned American.
Despite being broken in the very first game, the two-time Grand Slam champion swiftly turned things around to ensure his name would be in the second round of Roland Garros.
Having eased the immense pressure that comes with that return to action after injury, it is expected that attention will now shift towards Nadal and Alexander Zverev, who play later today.
Alcaraz has been clear on his plans for the clash: ‘For me it’s a privilege to share the locker room, to share the tournament with Rafa. I’m a huge fan of him, I’m not going to hide that.
‘I’m going to enjoy watching that match. I’m going to set my schedule just to be able to watch the match in Philippe Chatrier. As a fan, I think it’s going to be a really interesting match. First round of a Grand Slam, Rafa vs Sacha. It’s unique.
‘I really want to watch with my own eyes, I don’t want to miss any points. That’s what I’m going to do. Let’s see how it’s going to be.’
The best that Roland Garros has to offer in the first round
When the tennis world learned that Nadal would be unseeded at Roland Garros, fans expected the worst.
However, they did not expect him to actually receive it.
Arguably, there was no tougher player for Nadal to face in the first round, given the German is coming off the back of a second title in Rome.
Not only that, but his game style exactly matches up to the kind that Nadal has struggled against since his comeback, as a big-serving giant who is willing to stretch the points out.
And yet, despite all the odds being stacked against him, it still feels impossible to back against the 37-year-old.
He boasts this magical quality which few others in sport have that just makes you believe that he is capable of something truly unthinkable. Regardless of what happens today, the tennis world is at the very least guaranteed a spectacle.
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