Carlos Alcaraz opened his French Open title defense Monday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over Giulio Zeppieri, an Italian qualifier who is ranked 310th. Alcaraz won all 14 of his service games, saving the three break points he faced,

Reigning men’s champion Alcaraz takes on Fabian Marozsan of Hungary for a place in the third round on Chatrier. After a topsy-turvy start to the year, the four-time Grand Slam winner has hit his straps on clay, winning both the Monte Carlo Masters and Italian Open, as well as reaching the Barcelona Open final.

In the first French Open since Rafael Nadal’s retirement, Carlos Alcaraz is a strong favorite to defend his title in Paris as Spanish great Carlos Moyá tells CNN Sports.