Carlos Alcaraz drops set against Fabian Marozsan, reaches third round at Roland Garros

Roland Garros

Alcaraz drops set against Marozsan, reaches third round at Roland Garros

Spaniard chasing fifth major title

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Carlos Alcaraz improves to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Fabian Marozsan. By Sam Jacot

Carlos Alcaraz recovered from a mid-match dip on Wednesday in Paris, where he moved past former foe Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 to record his 20th Roland Garros victory.

The defending champion lost to Marozsan at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome two years ago and was troubled at times by the Hungarian’s deft drop shot under the roof on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

However, with the alarm bells starting to chime after dropping the second set, Alcaraz quickly put to bed any concerns with a dominant performance in the third and fourth sets. The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings upped his aggression and produced a number of stunning passing shots to become the first player born in the 2000s to earn 20 match wins at Roland Garros.

"It was a great, great match," Alcaraz said. "I played well in the first set. I had really high confidence. In the second set he started to play much better, really aggressively and didn't miss at all. It was a little bit difficult dealing with his game in the second set but I was pleased to stay strong and refresh in the third set and I started to play better and better. I had a really good last two sets."

Defending champ pushes ahead 👊

Alcaraz locks his place in R3 with a 6-1 4-6 6-1 6-2 win over Marozsan... 🔥@rolandgarros | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/NiAewHV9Wu — ATP Tour (@atptour) May 28, 2025

Alcaraz is aiming to become the first man to successfully defend the title in Paris since Rafael Nadal in 2019-20 and will next play Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Damir Dzumhur following his entertaining two-hour, nine-minute win.

Alcaraz now owns a 29-2 record on clay since last May, highlighted by his maiden Roland Garros title and a run to the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Spaniard has won ATP Masters 1000 titles on the surface in 2025 in Monte-Carlos and Rome, where he overcame World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final and improved to a 7-4 lead in their gripping Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.

Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the Masters 1000 in Madrid due to an adductor injury, and wore a brace around his knee during his title run in Rome. Yet he has moved freely across his opening two matches in Paris, where he has played with no strapping.

Marozsan had enjoyed previous success against Alcaraz, defeating the 22-year-old in Rome in 2023. In a fun encounter in Paris, the Hungarian posed Alcaraz questions with his touch and net play, but Alcaraz had more of the answers in the cat-and-mouse exchanges, moving freely to pull the 25-year-old from corner to corner.

"Sometimes it is difficult to have fun on the court, I have to suffer," Alcaraz said on fighting during matches. "It depends on the opponent as well. But most of the time I am trying to not think about anything else but enjoy playing and being in this kind of court. I want to enjoy when I step onto court and not think about anything else. I want to play good tennis and make the people enjoy my matches."

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