“Of course I study my opponents a bit and I know that he likes to hit a lot of drop shots,” Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference at Roland Garros. “I know how he plays, I’ll have to be ready for that and try to put him under pressure if he tries it. I guess it will be a battle of drop shots, but we’ll see. It’ll be interesting.”

Carlos has faced Marozsan twice before. Their most recent meeting came in the Round of 16 at last year’s Indian Wells Masters 1000, where Alcaraz cruised to a straight-sets win. However, the first encounter between the two went to the Hungarian, who defeated Alcaraz in the Round of 32 at the 2023 Rome Open.

“I’ve lost to him before, so I need to be very prepared for his game, which is aggressive and involves a lot of drop shots,” the Spanish star recalled. “I have to stay alert, and we’ll see who does them better… he won’t be able to lose focus either.”

Alcaraz explains the challenge of the drop shot

After repeatedly highlighting Fabian Marozsan’s style of play, Carlos Alcaraz offered a deeper analysis. “The drop shot isn’t an easy shot,” he said. “It’s hard to do it well because there’s always the risk of not hitting the ball cleanly, which means it could end up being an easy ball for your opponent.”

He also shared insight into how he approaches that shot in particular. “What I always try to do is watch when my opponent is far from the baseline—an ideal time for a drop shot. If they get to the ball, then I have a few options: the lob or the passing shot. Normally, the drop shot comes naturally to me—it’s something I feel in the moment, not something I plan in my head,” Carlos explained.

Marozsan has a big opportunity ahead

Fabian Marozsan is currently ranked No. 56 in the world and reached a career-high of World No. 36 last year. His best result this season came at the Bavarian Open, where he reached the semifinals before falling to Alexander Zverev.

At Roland Garros, Marozsan began his campaign with a 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 win over Luca Nardi. Now, he faces a major test against one of the sport’s elite players. When asked about facing Alcaraz, Fabian reflected on his win over him in Rome 2023. “My goal in that tournament was just to win a qualifying match, and I found myself in the round of 16. I was just hoping to win a few games, and I managed to beat Carlos,” he said.

The second-round clash between Alcaraz and Marozsan will take place Wednesday morning on Court Philippe Chatrier. The winner will go on to face either Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard or Damir Dzumhur in the Round of 32.

[Watch Fabian Marozsan vs Carlos Alcaraz online free in the US on Fubo]

It is one of the most interesting matches of the third round, since it will feature one of the main favorites to win the tournament, no less than the Spanish number 2 in the world Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, who comes in very good shape after his comfortable victory in the second round.

The player born in El Palmar, Murcia beat his compatriot Ramos Vinolas 6-4, 6-1. His rival will be the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan who comes from a hard-fought victory against the Czech Lehecka by 4-6, 6-1 and 7-6. This third round matchup will be the first between the two.

When will Fabian Marozsan vs Carlos Alcaraz be played?

The match for the third round of the 2023 Italian Open between Fabian Marozsan and Carlos Alcaraz will take place this Monday, May 15 at 6:20 AM (ET).

Fabian Marozsan vs Carlos Alcaraz: Time by State in the US

ET: 6:20 AM
CT: 5:20 AM
MT: 4:20 AM
PT: 3:20 AM

How to watch Fabian Marozsan vs Carlos Alcaraz

This match for third round of the 2023 Italian Open between Fabian Marozsan and Carlos Alcaraz can be watched in the United States on Fubo (free trial). Other options: Tennis TV.