MELBOURNE – World number one Carlos Alcaraz powered into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a commanding straight-sets victory over France’s Corentin Moutet, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1. This win marked Alcaraz’s 100th Grand Slam match, where he equaled tennis legend Bjorn Borg’s record for the best winning percentage in the first 100 majors.
The 22-year-old Spaniard started strong, dominating the first set with precise serving and aggressive baseline play. In the second set, Alcaraz raced to a 3-0 lead but faced a momentary scare as Moutet clawed back to level at 3-3. Undeterred, Alcaraz broke serve at 4-4 and held firm to secure the set. The third set was a demolition, with Alcaraz grabbing a double break and wrapping up the match in just over two hours.
Post-match, Alcaraz praised his opponent’s resilience: ‘Playing against someone like Corentin is never easy. You don’t know what the next point will bring. It was tough to read the match, but I had a lot of fun on court. We both hit some incredible shots and created great points.’
Next up for the unbeaten Alcaraz, who hasn’t dropped a set in the tournament, is 19th seed Tommy Paul. A first Australian Open title would make him the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam. With a now 87-13 Grand Slam record, Alcaraz has surpassed icons like Rafael Nadal (86-14) and John McEnroe in their first 100 majors. His rival Jannik Sinner’s comparable record stands at 81-19.
Alcaraz, a six-time Grand Slam champion, arrived in Melbourne with title aspirations after reaching the quarterfinals twice before. Fans are buzzing about his potential to etch his name in history Down Under.