Carlos Alcaraz beats Royer to reach Doha Quarterfinal
Carlos has beaten Valentin Royer 6-2, 7-5 to move into the quarterfinals in Doha, continuing his unbeaten start to the season.
Carlos Alcaraz looked in control early, taking the first set comfortably. The match tightened in the second when he fell behind 2–5, but Alcaraz stayed composed, raised his level, and won the final five games to close it out in straight sets.
The win sends Alcaraz into his second Doha quarterfinal, keeps his 2026 record perfect at 9–0, and marks quarterfinals or better in 12 of his last 13 tournaments.
After the match, Alcaraz acknowledged the milestone of reaching his 55th ATP quarterfinal at just 22, but made it clear his focus lies elsewhere.
“Well obviously it’s great. It’s a great number,” he said. “But I’m not thinking about the number of quarterfinals. I just want to be focused on the number of finals I’m doing. That’s my mindset. That’s my goal. Hopefully this week I’ll add another final to my belt. I’ve got a few really difficult matches ahead, and I’m excited and looking forward to playing them.”
Asked about the second set, Alcaraz admitted the situation briefly crossed his mind.
“There were some moments I thought about a third set, I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “But it was just a small place in my mind. The rest of the time I was working to find a solution. I’m really happy I was able to find good rhythm again.”
He added that matches often come down to staying patient under pressure.
“In tennis, it’s about the tests,” Alcaraz said. “Sometimes it’s really difficult to close sets and matches. I had to stay there and fight. I’m happy I was able to turn it around and win in straight sets.”
