World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz secured his spot in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open with a commanding straight-sets win over France’s Corentin Moutet at Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
The top seed triumphed 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 in a largely one-sided third-round clash that lasted just over two hours.
Alcaraz set the tone early by breaking serve in the opening game of the match and quickly raced to a 5-1 lead in the first set. Although Moutet briefly resisted reducing the deficit, the Spaniard closed out the set comfortably.
The second set saw Alcaraz continue his dominance, breaking serve twice to surge ahead. Moutet mounted a brief comeback by winning four consecutive games to edge in front, but the world No. 1 remained composed and reeled off the crucial games to take a two-sets-to-love lead.
With victory in sight, Alcaraz raised his level further in the third set, storming to a 4-0 advantage as both players exchanged inventive shot-making. Moutet managed to claim a game, but there was no stopping the Spaniard, who sealed the match with ruthless efficiency.
“It wasn’t easy, to be honest,” the Spaniard said on court. “When you play someone like Corentin, you don’t know what’s going to be next, so it’s difficult to approach.”
“I had so much fun on the court, as you could see. I think we both pulled off great shots, great points. I think there were a few highlights in the match,” he added.
“I’m just grateful to play these kinds of matches. I’m happy that I was able to play against him.”
Alcaraz will next face American Tommy Paul as he continues his bid for the Australian Open title.
