Carlos Alcaraz is gradually finding his rhythm in Melbourne, but his path so far cannot be called entirely straightforward. The Spaniard got past Adam Walton and Yannick Hanfmann in three sets, but in both matches his opponents put up a fight and forced tie-breaks. Now he faces Corentin Moutet in their first head-to-head meeting, and it appears that the Frenchman will be a much more favourable match-up for him.
Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz continues to live up to his status as the favourite on hard courts. He has not lost on outdoor hard courts since August 2025 and is on a 20-match winning streak. Over this period the Spaniard has dropped a set only four times. In Melbourne he has also started with straight-sets wins, and over the previous two seasons he has suffered only one defeat here, and that came in the quarter-finals.
Corentin Moutet
Corentin Moutet, for his part, has deservedly reached the third round, matching his best result in Melbourne. At the Australian Open he defeated Tristan Schoolkate (6:4, 7:6, 6:3) and Michael Zheng (3:6, 6:1, 6:3, 3:0 via opponent retirement). However, the Frenchman has committed nine double faults across these two matches, and against top-level opponents he consistently lacks physicality and power. Over his entire career he has only one victory against a top-5 opponent, having lost nine such matches.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Corentin Moutet Prediction
It will be difficult for Corentin Moutet not only to cope with the pace of Carlos Alcaraz but also to hold his own serve consistently. The Spaniard is likely to apply pressure from the very first games and maintain it until the end.
