Although all six of Alexander Blockx’s Challenger titles came on hard courts, he has shown beyond a reasonable doubt that he can be a cool customer on the slow stuff. The Belgian was dominant on serve, hit with depth and power, and put extreme pressure on Coleman Wong’s service games relentlessly to keep the HK rep in check. Blockx ran away with a 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory to move on to the second round of this year’s French Open.
Blockx served huge, winning 83% of first serves and 77% on second serves, while having to save just the lone break point today. Wong did well to save 8 of 12 break points, but his service games were under constant siege right at the jump and he could not find sufficient inroads to trouble Blockx. Blockx hit 25 winners and registered 60% of total points won to take command.
During this clay court season, Blockx registered a string of impressive results, including a last sixteen run in Monte Carlo, a semifinal in Madrid, and a third round appearance at the Italian Open in Rome.
At the Masters 1000 Madrid, in particular, Blockx beat world No. 5 Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round, No. 20 Francisco Cerundolo in the last sixteen, and No. 15 Casper Ruud in the quarters. It took a player of Alexander Zverev’s standing to take him down in the semis.
As a result, Blockx rose to a new career-high No. 36 and earned a direct entry into the maindraw of the French Open. Like Wong, he also fell in the opening round of the men’s qualifying in his debut last year. Blockx began this season ranked No. 115 and managed to beat the equally fast-rising Rafael Jodar right away to capture the Canberra Challenger.
Meanwhile, Wong, ranked 113rd, had to contend with qualifying but received a second opportunity by entering the maindraw as a lucky-loser after he fell in the final qualifying round to Juan Carlos Prado Angelo of Bolivia.
Blockx was the top-ranked junior briefly in May 2023 after he beat American Learner Tien to win the Australian Open boys’ singles, but he had never faced Wong on the junior circuit. The HK rep claimed their first meeting at the Busan Challenger in 2024, while Blockx won their encounter at the Cap Cana Challenger earlier this year 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Nevertheless, Wong inched closer to the top 100 after he moved up four places to a new career-high No. 109.
Wong, who turns 22 next month, is the first player from Hong Kong to compete in men’s singles at the French Open in the Open Era. However, Choy Wai Chuen and Tsui Wai Pui were the first to accomplish this feat in 1937.
Results
Roland Garros
Paris, France
17 May-7 Jun 2026
Men’s Singles
First Round
Alexander Blockx (BEL) d. (LL)Coleman Wong (HKG) 6-3 6-4 6-2
Men’s Singles Qualifying
First Round
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Billy Harris (GBR) 6-2 4-6 7-6 [10-7]
Second Round
(4)Coleman Wong (HKG) d. Zdenek Kolar (CZE) 7-5 2-6 6-1
Third Round
Juan Carlos Prado Angelo (BOL) d. (4)Coleman Wong (HKG) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Photo: ArcK Photography @arckphoto