Alcaraz Dramatically Advances to the Quarterfinals of the 2026 Qatar Open

JAKARTA - World number one tennis player Carlos Alcaraz was forced to rise dramatically to defeat Valentin Royer (France) and ensure his journey continued to the quarterfinals of the 2026 ATP 500 Qatar Open.

Alcaraz secured the ticket after winning the match in two sets with a final score of 6-2 and 7-5 on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, WIB evening. The victory also extended his positive trend at the beginning of this season.

The Spanish player was down 2-5 in the second set before winning five games in a row to lock in the victory in 96 minutes.

"Obviously, I have to be ready for any possibility. There were some moments when I thought about the third set, I won't lie, but it was only a small part of my mind," Alcaraz said as quoted from the ATP official website.

This victory keeps Alcaraz's win-loss record at 9-0 on the early calendar this year. The record includes his journey to win the 2026 Australian Open, which made him the youngest player in history to have won all the Grand Slam trophies.

Alcaraz also recorded 27 consecutive victories on outdoor hard courts since winning the title at the Cincinnati Open in August 2025. The 22-year-old is hunting for his first title in Doha after his debut last year stopped in the quarterfinals after losing to Jiri Lehecka.

On the other hand, Royer still has a number of positive records despite losing his first meeting against Alcaraz. The 24-year-old tennis player rose seven places to 53rd in the world.

"I'm very happy to be able to rediscover my best rhythm and game. In tennis, it's all about fighting. Sometimes it's very difficult to close a set or a match. So, I just have to keep going," said Alcaraz.

Alcaraz will next face Karen Khachanov for a spot in the semifinals. The seventh seed had previously eliminated Marton Fucsovics - the 2024 Qatar Open champion - with a score of 6-2, 4-6, and 6-4.

In another quarterfinal in the same draw, fifth seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev will face Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Rublev knocked out Fabian Marozsan 6-2 and 6-4, while Tsitsipas advanced to his first tour-level quarterfinal in 10 months after defeating fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-3 and 6-4.

World number two Jannik Sinner also had a satisfying debut there. The Italian managed to reach the quarter-finals after stopping Alexei Popyrin with a final score of 6-3 and 7-5.