“It’s been two years since I have won a match here in Paris-Bercy. So every time that I keep going is a gift for me,” Carlo Alcaraz said after winning his first match at the 2024 Paris Masters. He defeated Chilean tennis player, Nicolas Jarry in his previous match and he’s now all set to face the Frenchman, Ugo Humbert in the R16. Humbert has played quite well this season and he’s more than capable of putting up a tough fight against the Spaniard. Who’ll win this enticing encounter?

Carlos Alcaraz vs Ugo Humbert: Preview

Carlos Alcaraz has won four titles this season and two out of them are Grand Slam titles! His first title triumph came in March at the Indian Wells Masters and after that, he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final of the 2024 French Open. Then it was followed by a win in the final of the Wimbledon Championships against Novak Djokovic and the last one came recently, at the China Open. All in all, this has been an extraordinary season for Alcaraz so far. Even here in Paris, he looked quite sharp in his first match against Jarry. He defeated the Chilean 7-5,6-1 and now it’ll be interesting to see if he can extend his winning run further in this tournament.

Ugo Humber has won two titles this season. He won his first title of the season at the Open 13 in February this year and it was followed by yet another emphatic victory at the Dubai Tennis Championships in March. Humbert is entering this match after defeating two Americans in his previous two rounds of the 2024 Paris Masters. In the R64, he defeated Brandon Nakashima by three sets and then in the next round he outclassed Marcos Giron by 6-3,6-2.

Alcaraz vs Humbert: Head-to-Head

Carlos Alcaraz and Ugo Humbert have played against each other twice in their careers so far. Currently, the Spaniard leads the H2H scoreline against the Frenchman by 2-0.

• 2024 Davis Cup Round Robin: Alcaraz 6-3,6-3.
• 2024 Wimbledon R16: Alcaraz 6-3,6-4,1-6,7-5.

Prediction: Alcaraz to win in straight sets

Playing against Ugo Humbert against a jam-packed crowd in Paris is really going to be a big challenge for Carlos Alcaraz. Humbert will be keen to capitalize on the home support and finish this match on a winning note. However, we feel that world number 2, has all the weapons in his armory to win this battle! If we take a look at their records in this season, Carlos Alcaraz has a win-loss record of 47-10, whereas, Ugo Humbert (18) has a record of 35-24. So, considering all these factors and superiority in the rankings, we feel Alcaraz will win this match.

Talking about the surface, Carlos Alcaraz said, “This court is very slippery. We have to get used to it, there is no other way. For tennis, for the spectators, not having so many exchanges is difficult.” So, finding the rhythm right from the start of the match is going to be a real challenge for all the players in this tournament. 

If we take a look at their playing styles, Ugo Humbert is known for his aggressive style of play. He gives little time and space to his opponents to settle! The Frenchman will be keen to get a grip of this match right from the start with his fiery serves. We saw him hitting 9 aces and committing 0 double faults against Giron in his previous match. Apart from these, Humbert also loves coming to the net and finishing off the points in his favor against his opponents. His favorite shot is his backhand and Humbert also loves hitting volleys.

Carlos Alcaraz on the other hand, is often seen trying to hit a lot of winners with the help of his strong and precise forehand shots. He even has a strong backhand which can put his opponents on the back foot. Alcaraz also loves disguising his opponents with his incredible drop shots. He mostly tries to push his opponents back into the court into a defensive position before coming up with his drop shots. Even his court coverage is also quite exceptional. Now, talking about his serves, guess what? Even Carlos Alcaraz hit 9 aces in his previous match and didn’t commit even a single double fault in the entire match. We expect Alcaraz to start this match on the front foot and win this contest in his own style!