Roland Garros 2021 qualifiers: Carlos Alcaraz vs Lukas Lacko preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: (7) Carlos Alcaraz vs Lukas Lacko

Date: 25 May 2021

Tournament: Roland Garros 2021 qualifiers

Round: First round

Venue: Paris, France

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Red Clay

Carlos Alcaraz vs Lukas Lacko preview

Looking to reach the second Grand Slam main draw of his career, Carlos Alcaraz kicks off his Roland Garros qualification campaign against Lukas Lacko on Tuesday.

Alcaraz became the first player born in 2003 (or later) to reach the main draw of a Major at the Australian Open this year. The Spaniard has gone from strength to strength since then, winning as many as seven tour-level matches - including a semifinal run at Marbella.

Alcaraz comes into Paris on the back of a fourth Challenger title, having triumphed at Oeiras (Portugal) last week. That win made him one of only seven players to win four Challengers at the age of 18 or under.

Lukas Lacko

Lukas Lacko, on the other hand, has been a regular feature on both the ATP tour and the Challenger tour for a long time now. The 33-year-old has a career-high ranking of 44, but he hasn't played a single tour-level match this year.

Lacko comes into Roland Garros qualifying on the back of an up-and-down time at the Challengers. The Slovak made it to the semifinals at Quimper in February, but is currently on a five-match losing streak.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Lukas Lacko head-to-head

The first round of the 2021 Roland Garros qualifiers is the first professional meeting between Carlos Alcaraz and Lukas Lacko, so their head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Lukas Lacko prediction

With form and momentum on his side, Carlos Alcaraz comes into the qualifying first round encounter as the overwhelming favorite. The 18-year-old has proved his prowess on clay at both tour level and Challenger level this year, and he has been touted to take over the reins of Spanish tennis in the future.

Alcaraz has potent groundstrokes off both wings, but his topspin-laden forehand in particular is a massive weapon. The Spaniard is a courageous player too, and doesn't hesitate to pull the trigger from the back of the court when presented with an opportunity. That, however, also makes him prone to coughing up a few errors on occasion.

Carlos Alcaraz

Lukas Lacko will look to use his consistent serve to put pressure on his opponent early, and force him to rush into errors by robbing him of time. The match will, however, largely be on Alcaraz's racket.

If the Spaniard can display his trademark power and keep his focus throughout the encounter, it is hard to see him losing this one.

Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in straight sets.