Shevchenko looks forward to facing Alcaraz: "Facing Carlos will be an unforgettable experience".

This Friday, Carlos Alcaraz kicks off the defense of his crown. His first opponent will be Alexander Shevchenko (59th in the world), who defeated France's Arthur Rinderknech (6-4, 5-7, 6-3) in the 1st round.

Despite his obvious outsider status, the Kazakh is looking forward to the tournament. He's looking forward to it and wants to try his luck. Asked about the match, he said: "I've been playing on clay for as long as I can remember, I feel very comfortable there and my progression in Challenger tournaments has been made by winning a lot of matches on this surface. Facing Carlos will be an unforgettable experience, and I hope I can do my best."

It's not certain that this will be enough for Shevchenko to make the world number 3 doubt his ability.