Carlos Alcaraz takes in the sights of Rome during his maiden Italian Open stint

Carlos Alcaraz appeared to be in a relaxed mood on Sunday, May 14, ahead of a third-round encounter against Fabian Marozsan during his maiden Italian Open campaign.

Alcaraz posted images of himself taking in the sights of Rome alongside his team after having cruised to victory in the opening round of the competition, which he missed out on last year.

The Spaniard thrilled his fans by sharing a photograph of himself in front of the breathtaking Colosseum in Rome while also paying a visit to the Trevi fountain and the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument in the Italian capital.

"When in Rome...An afternoon as a tourist in Italy," he captioned the photographs.

One Italian fan urged the 20-year-old to enjoy his time in the historical city which boasts of some spectacular architecture before expressing a desire to see Alcaraz play local hero Jannik Sinner in the final.

"A spettacolo Carlos! I wish you the best and enjoy this great moment. I hope we see a final with you vs Jannik Sinner," the fan tweeted.

Carlos Alcaraz had decided not to compete in the Italian Open last year after having notched up back-to-back title wins in Barcelona and Madrid.

The 2022 US Open champion entered the Rome Masters event this year as the second seed before defeating compatriot Albert-Ramos Vinolas 6-4, 6-1 following a rain delay.

He will now take on Hungarian Fabian Marozsan on Monday, May 15, in an effort to book a fourth-round spot following a 12-match unbeaten streak after having successfully defended titles in both Barcelona and Madrid.

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Carlos Alcaraz all set to enter French Open as top seed

Alcaraz in action at the 2022 French Open

Carlos Alcaraz who failed to go all the way at Roland Garros while being seeded sixth in 2022 is guaranteed of going into the second Grand Slam of the year as the top seed.

After a couple of incredible tournament wins ahead of the French Open last year, Alcaraz was touted to be one of the contenders for the title in Paris.

The Spaniard headed into the quarterfinals as the favorite despite being seeded three slots lower than Alexander Zverev, whom he defeated 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the Madrid Masters a few weeks earlier.

Zverev, however, had other ideas as he overcame Alcaraz 6-4 6-4 4-6 7-6 (7) after an epic battle at Court Philippe Chatrier.

Carlos Alcaraz will now enter the French Open as the top seed after having been assured of the coveted top spot in the ATP rankings following his opening encounter in Rome.

Current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic who has advanced to the Round of 16 at the Italian Open will not be in a position to overtake the youngster even if he manages to defend his title in Rome.