Tweener magic and tying Grand Slam record as Carlos Alcaraz sweeps into last 16 of Australian Open with win over Corentin Moutet

React to this story

Carlos Alcaraz booked his spot in the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Corentin Moutet. World No. 1 Alcaraz needed just over two hours to beat Moutet and set up a clash with 19th seed Tommy Paul next up. Alcaraz is aiming to become the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam by lifting the trophy in Melbourne.

'Oh yes!' - Watch as Alcaraz pulls out amazing tweener to win 'fantastic' point

Video credit: TNT Sports

Carlos Alcaraz proved too good for Corentin Moutet as he eased into the fourth round of the 2026 Australian Open.

World No. 1 Alcaraz broke serve seven times against the 32nd seed as he won 6-2 6-4 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.

The contest featured plenty of spectacular shot-making, with Alcaraz pulling off a 'fantastic' tweener at the start of the second set and winning the point with a backhand chipped right into the corner.

Australian Open Men's Singles -

'I was thinking about it' - How Nadal's heroics inspired Alcaraz win over Djokovic

01/02/2026 at 19:18

It was Alcaraz's 87th Grand Slam singles win from his first 100 matches, equalling the all-time record set by Bjorn Borg. Rafael Nadal and John McEnroe both went 86-14 across their first 100 major matches, while Novak Djokovic was 79-21 and Roger Federer 80-20.

Alcaraz gets 19th seed Tommy Paul next as he continues his bid for a first title in Melbourne to complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz leads the head-to-head record 5-2 against Paul and has won their last four matches in a row.

"We have great battles against each other," Alcaraz said about facing Paul.

"It’s always really difficult to play against him. He plays great tennis on hard courts with that flat backhand that he slices a lot, aggressive, great touch. It’s going to be a really interesting one."

Most wins after 100 Grand Slam matches

Player	Wins	Losses
Carlos Alcaraz	87	13
Bjorn Borg	87	13
John McEnroe	86	14
Rafael Nadal	86	14
Jimmy Connors	85	15
Ken Rosewall	85	15

Alcaraz hit 30 winners in a highlight-reel performance against Moutet.

The Frenchman also produced some fantastic shots and outdid Alcaraz for the number of drop shots played during the match.

"I thought we were in a drop shot competition," Alcaraz joked. "Definitely he won."

It was largely a routine win for Alcaraz aside from the second set when he was pegged back from 3-0 up as Moutet won four games in a spin to lead 4-3.

Watch as Alcaraz's opponent Moutet bows to crowd after two 'fantastic' points

Video credit: TNT Sports

However, Alcaraz responded by winning seven games in a row as he sealed the victory in two hours and five minutes.

"It wasn’t easy," Alcaraz said.

"When you play someone like Corentin, you don’t know what’s going to be next. That’s really difficult to approach the match, but I had so much fun with it on the court.

"I think we both pulled off great shots, great points. I think there were a few highlights in the match. I’m grateful to play this kind of match against him."

Alcaraz is set to play against Paul on Sunday.

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are both in action on Saturday, when play starts earlier due to extreme heat expected in Melbourne.

- - -

Stream every match of the 2026 Australian Open live and on-demand on discovery+

Australian Open Men's Singles -