Carlos Alcaraz achieved his 25th win of the season by defeating Dusan Lajovic in the second round of the Italian Open, marking his return to the tour after an abductor injury forced him to miss the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid. The match saw Alcaraz, playing with a precautionary knee wrap and a nasal strip, win 6-3, 6-3 in 82 minutes despite feeling slightly congested. He noted that both his physical condition and movement on the court were satisfactory, expressing optimism for the upcoming matches.
This victory also extended Alcaraz’s head-to-head dominance over Lajovic to 5-0. He is aiming for his third title of the season and his second on clay, having not competed at the Italian Open for two years. Next, Alcaraz will face Laslo Djere, against whom he holds a 2-0 record, in the third round. Should he progress, he is likely to encounter either Lorenzo Sonego or Karen Khachanov in the following stage, along with a potential quarter-final clash against either Jack Draper or Holger Rune—players who have previously defeated him this season. Alcaraz remains confident about his performance this week.
