Carlos Alcaraz maintained his perfect start to the season with a hard-fought victory over Frenchman Valentin Royer in Doha on Wednesday.

The world number one, who became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam at the Australian Open earlier this month, secured his ninth consecutive win of 2025 with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph despite trailing 5-2 in the second set.

“There were some moments when I thought about a third set, I’m not going to lie, but obviously it was just a small place in my mind that was thinking that,” Alcaraz said.

“The rest was working to find solutions, to find the right way again.”

The 22-year-old will face Russian seventh seed Karen Khachanov on Thursday for a place in the semi-finals. Alcaraz has won all five of their previous meetings, dropping just one set in the process.

Alcaraz breezed through the opening set against Royer, breaking serve twice without facing a single break point.

However, the 60th-ranked Royer significantly raised his level in the second set. After failing to convert a break opportunity early on, he broke soon after to move 3-1 ahead and eventually extended his lead to 5-2.

Alcaraz responded immediately, earning a chance to break back in the following game, but Royer held firm to consolidate. When the Frenchman served for the set, though, the momentum shifted. Alcaraz broke back in the ninth game and never looked back, reeling off five straight games to seal the win in straight sets.

Elsewhere in Doha, Alcaraz’s rival Jannik Sinner, playing his first tournament since his semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, eased past Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 7-5.

Stefanos Tsitsipas reached his first quarter-final since the Barcelona Open last April with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over former world number one Daniil Medvedev.

France’s Arthur Fils, competing in only his fourth tournament since withdrawing injured from last year’s French Open, defeated compatriot Quentin Halys 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).