The qualifier Fabian Marozsan produced the biggest shock of the ATP season so far with a stunning 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory against the second seed Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the Italian Open on Monday afternoon.
Marozsan, a 23-year-old Hungarian ranked No 135, is the lowest‑ranked player to defeat Alcaraz since July 2021. Until he came through the qualifying draw in Rome and defeated the No 67 Corentin Moutet, Marozsan had never won an ATP match.
He had additionally arrived in Rome in poor form. Although Marozsan won an ATP Challenger event on clay in March, he started this tournament having lost five of his previous six matches. Alcaraz, meanwhile, had a 30-2 record in 2022 after tournament wins in Barcelona and Madrid and the 20-year-old will return to No 1 in the ATP rankings next week.
Despite his disappointment, Alcaraz absorbed the defeat with a typical smile, heaping praise on his opponent’s performance after the match. Asked if he felt any physical issues, Alcaraz shrugged off the question: “No, no, no. I was perfect physically,” he said.
“I just didn’t feel comfortable. He made me feel uncomfortable on court. He was aggressive all the time. He was playing inside the baseline all the time. It was tough for me to get into the match, into the rally.”
The defeat may prove a blessing in disguise for Alcaraz, who will have a chance to rest instead of toiling through a second two-week Masters 1000 event ahead of the French Open, where he will be seeded No 1 at a grand slam for the first time.
For Marozsan, his victory moves him up to around 114 in the ATP rankings, meaning he is very close to directly entering his first grand slam main draw. “The goal for me was winning one match in the qualies. Now I just won five matches,” he said.
“I’m very, very happy,” Marozsan said. “I can’t imagine this one. It was my dream last night.”
On his first appearance on any major stadium court, Marozsan approached the most hyped and in‑form player on the tour without fear or favour. From the very beginning of the match, Marozsan served precisely and controlled the baseline. He forced Alcaraz back with consistent aggression and his sweet two-handed backhand while offering the Spaniard a taste of his own medicine: a constant stream of winning drop shots.
As Marozsan commanded the opening set, Alcaraz struggled to find his range. He continued to spray unforced errors, eventually falling down a set and a break. But Alcaraz fought hard, retrieving the break at 3-4 by landing returns and finding greater consistency, and he eventually forced a tie-break.
Just as it seemed that Alcaraz had steadied himself, establishing a 4-1 lead in the tie-break, Marozsan exploded. He won the final six points of the match with an array of absurd winners from difficult defensive positions. Marozsan attacked until the end, forcing a final forehand error from Alcaraz as he completed the victory of his life.
“I just tried to do something special, win a few games and maybe a set,” he said. “I just beat the world No 1, he’s the best in our sport, so I’m really happy with this.”
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev continued to find his feet on clay as he moved into the fourth round with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory against Bernabé Zapata Miralles of Spain. Medvedev has reached at least the round of 16 of all three clay court Masters 1000 events this year and his progress has been clear.
“This year, I feel different, I feel like I can play on clay,” he said. “I can play well. I can put my opponents in trouble. It’s just, well, don’t miss, don’t double fault and that’s how you can win matches.”
