US Open 2021: Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech preview, head-to-head & prediction

Match details

Fixture: Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech

Date: 1 September 2021

Tournament: 2021 US Open

Round: Second round (Round of 64)

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York

Category: Grand Slam

Surface: Outdoor hardcourt

Prize money: $40,560,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel & ESPN / ESPN 2 | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP

Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech preview

Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Rinderknech both emerged victorious in their respective US Open debuts on Monday. They will now square off against each other in the second round, hoping to get one step closer to a maiden Slam second week appearance.

While Alcaraz crushed Cameron Norrie in straight sets in his first-round match, Rinderknech staged a stunning comeback from two sets down against Miomir Kecmanovic.

Many believed Norrie would be an impossible hurdle to cross for Alcaraz, given the Brit's superlative form so far this year. But the Spaniard proved all his doubters wrong, in the process showing that his game is ready for all surfaces.

Alcaraz made full use of his heavy groundstrokes and outhit the Brit from the baseline. The 18-year-old struck a whopping 38 winners and committed a mere 13 unforced errors to clinch a 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win in just under two hours.

The result means Alcaraz has now registered at least one victory at each of the four Slams in 2021.

Arthur Rinderknech, meanwhile, survived a 260-minute-long battle against Miomir Kecmanovic. The Frenchman seemed headed towards a fourth consecutive first-round Slam exit after losing the first two sets, but he pulled up his socks in time to book his place in the second round.

Rinderknech won 6-7(10), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 with the help of 86 winners. The 26-year-old also benefitted the most from the fact that he was able to drastically cut down on his unforced errors in the last three sets.

While Rinderknech coughed up a whopping 29 unforced errors combined in the first two sets, he conceded only 20 in the remainder of the match.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech head-to-head

Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Rinderknech have never faced each other on tour before, which is why their current head-to-head stands at 0-0.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Arthur Rinderknech prediction

Arthur Rinderknech is into the 2nd round of a Slam for the first time in his career.

Carlos Alcaraz enters this match as the firm favorite, especially if Arthur Rinderknech is facing a bit of fatigue from his exploits in the first round. The Frenchman will not find it easy to strike as many winners as he normally does, given how quick Alcaraz is around the court.

The Spaniard's forehand, which was in imperious touch against Norrie, is likely to be difficult to deal with for Rinderknech too. The Frenchman's natural game is also fairly inconsistent, so Alcaraz could well earn quite a few free points in this match.

Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz to win in four sets.