He is the last man still standing. The final French representative competing in the men’s draw, Corentin Moutet will have the difficult task of keeping the French contingent alive for at least one more round on the night of Thursday to Friday at the Australian Open. Opposed to Carlos Alcaraz in the 3rd round, the 26-year-old left-hander will obviously not start favorite against the world number.
Solid in his first two matches, won without trembling against Tristan Schoolkate (6-4, 7-6 [1]6-3) and Michael Zheng (3-6, 6-1, 6-3, 2-0 abandonment), the Parisian confirmed the tennis progress glimpsed at the end of 2025 but also his new mental strength, once so prone to breakdowns and angry outbursts.
“I’m super excited”
Seeded for the first time in his career in a Grand Slam, the 37th player in the world plans to approach this clash against the boss of the ATP circuit with a free mind. “I’m not going to change anything,” he assured at a press conference on Wednesday.
“I’m going to stay who I am and try to do the best I can. As the match progresses, see the different challenges he will offer me and try to overcome them one after the other. And see what that gives. I’ve never played it. He never played me. So it’s going to be a discovery. I’m super enthusiastic and happy to be able to play against him,” confided Moutet, whose record against top 10 players remains poor (2 wins, 17 losses).
Scheduled on the Rod Laver Arena, this gala meeting will allow the talented French team to discover one of the largest courts in the world. But facing an Alcaraz who has only missed the second week of a Grand Slam once in four years (at the US Open in 2024), the challenge promises to be particularly tough.
The Australian Open 3rd round match between Carlos Alcaraz and Corentin Moutet will take place on the night of Thursday January 22 to Friday January 23, not before 3:30 a.m. The match will be broadcast live on Eurosport 1.
