French Open: Carlos Alcaraz survives De Jong scare, advances to third round

World number three Carlos Alcaraz narrowly escaped an upset against 176th-ranked Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong, securing his place in the third round with a four-set victory on Wednesday (May 29).

The Wimbledon champion, who reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year, managed a 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 win over De Jong, who was competing in only his second Grand Slam main draw.

The 21-year-old Spaniard faced a tough challenge, being broken five times and committing 47 unforced errors. De Jong, in his fifth match of the tournament, eventually succumbed under the roof of Court Phillipe Chatrier.

“Every player can cause you trouble,” said Alcaraz. “You have to be focused in every round and play your best, regardless of the ranking. Jesper has the potential to break into the top 100.”

Alcaraz will next face either American 27th seed Sebastian Korda or South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo for a spot in the last 16.

In the first set, despite being broken in the second game, Alcaraz broke back three times to take the lead. The resilient De Jong saved eight break points in the second set before Alcaraz finally secured the crucial break.

However, Alcaraz, who had entered the tournament with concerns over a right arm injury that caused him to miss the Rome Open, struggled in the third set. He made 15 unforced errors compared to De Jong’s five, allowing the qualifier to reduce the deficit.

In the fourth set, Alcaraz had to recover from two early breaks but eventually won the last four games to clinch the match.