The Spaniard was given a stern test by the world No.176 over three hours and nine minutes on Wednesday
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFTCarlos Alcaraz booked a third round spot for his fourth successive trip to Roland-Garros with a gripping 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 battle with Jesper de Jong on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
The world No.3 defied the dogged Dutch qualifier to earn a last 32 match-up with either 27th seed Sebastian Korda or Soonwoo Kwon.
The Spaniard knows exactly how de Jong would have been feeling, having qualified for Roland-Garros 2021 before reaching the third round on debut. Alcaraz knows exactly how a new kid on the block can be fearless.
De Jong, featuring in just his fourth major main draw match, has rapid pace and plenty of clever touches. The 23-year-old clipped over a drop shot en route to a 2-0 break advantage in the first set.
But Alcaraz then connected with a forehand return all the way back by the court clock, which zipped down the line to draw gasps from the crowd. It was the spark for the two-time Grand Slam champion to assert his dominance.
The 21-year-old's trademark smile was shining after plenty of all-court exchanges fell in his favour.
In one flicks and tricks rally, just moments after some inspired improvisation from de Jong, Alcaraz attempted a no-look backhand pass. It didn't come off, but the level was rising on Chatrier.
Alcaraz kept probing and while his favourite disguised drop shot came out, the chances were being erased by de Jong's athletic and spirited play.
At 4-4 in the second set the Spaniard was forced to fend off break point with a ferocious forehand drive to prompt a huge call of "vamos!"
There was a sense the tables were turning.
©Corinne Dubreuil / FFTBut De Jong stuck to his forward-thinking tennis and dictated play to reel off five consecutive games, taking the third set 6-2. Game on.
Into the fourth and the world No.176 attempted to pull clear in turbulent exchanges, while Alcaraz knuckled down and, like plenty of major champions, entered 'no miss mode'.
It was quite the show and the Parisian crowd reflected that with an enthusiastic ovation for both players.
The rallies frequently ended up in the service boxes with a catalogue of captivating duels at close quarters.
At net, Alcaraz posted a 27 from 41 success rate while de Jong finished with 31 from 48.
The Spaniard, forced off balance by de Jong's persistence, took only 44 per cent of his break opportunities, ending with 8 from 18 break points converted.
The No.3 seed, a semi-finalist in Paris last June, will want to recapture a ruthless streak in the next round and beyond.
Praise for de Jong: "As I've said many, many times, in these tournaments, every player can put you in trouble. You have to be really focused in every point, in every round. I'm at the top of the rankings, facing someone outside the top 100, you have to think that you should play at your best to get through. Jesper showed it doesn’t matter about rankings. What matters is the work and I'm sure he's going to break the top 100."
Suffering to find the solution: "Probably the third set, I saw that I had to forget about putting on a 'show' and try to put myself in the chance to be in all the rallies, making four, five, six, seven balls in every point. It was very difficult, I was in trouble a bit. I'm very happy. Jesper and I both showed great shots, drop shots and volleys, I think he did it better than me."
Spending three hours on court: "It's good for me to get the rhythm. Of course, I'd prefer to not spend too much time on the court. I really want to be in a good state for the next round, but every match is different."
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
