21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz survived Italian rival Janic Ciner with a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory to reach his third Grand Slam final. Wimbledon champion and US Open champion
Alcaraz smiled when asked after the game if he was aware of that milestone. Yes, he knew. Of course he checks his phone after playing.
“Well, I’ve always wanted to be one of the best players in the world,” he said. “If I want to be one of the best players in the world, you know, I have to be as good an all-around player as Roger. [Federer] It did, Novak [Djokovic]Rafa [Nadal], [Andy] Murray. The best players in the world have achieved success in every aspect.
Having met in their first French Open semifinal since 2014, when all four players were under the age of 30, it felt fitting that Alcaraz and Ciner, the greats of their younger generation, should meet. 27-year-old Alexander Zverev defeated 25-year-old Casper Ruud, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, in the second match of the day on Sunday at Roland Garros in what will be the first men’s final without Djokovic, Nadal or Federer since 2004.
Alcaraz and Zverev, who lost in each of the semifinals in Paris, will be making their first final appearance. Zverev holds a 5-4 edge in their head-to-head matchup, and the pair have split their two meetings this year. Both played on strong pitches.
Zverev won an unexpected straight match against Rudd on Friday in a domestic violence court case filed in his native Germany. Solved with an out-of-court settlement. In the year A district court in Berlin ended the trial after Zverev and his ex-partner, who accused him of physical abuse during a 2020 dispute, agreed to pay cash.
“I told you from the beginning. I told everyone. I’m glad it’s over,” Zverev said.
What was expected to be a thorny semi-final ended quickly after Rudd began to feel discomfort in his stomach near the end of the first set. The Norwegian, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2022 and 2023, has been the dominant player on clay this season and enters the tournament after Novak Djokovic pulled out with an injury before the quarter-finals.
But with his stomach aching, Rudd couldn’t muster the stamina needed to match Zverev’s strong groundstrokes and flawless serve.
“I don’t have the answer right now, but you know, I’m disappointed that it had to be today,” Rudd said. “Why couldn’t it be yesterday or today when I get three days off?”
Instead, Zverev reached the second Grand Slam final of his career four years later when he lost to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final. Between those four years, Zverev won five Grand Slam semifinals and suffered one ankle sprain. An injury, two years ago at the French Open, left the court in a wheelchair in a wheelchair.
“Going to the U.S. Open final where I was two points away, you know, two years ago rolling here in a wheelchair, that’s all the way I go,” Zverev said. “Here I am at the end. I haven’t won yet. But I just want to play my best tennis and give myself the best chance. If I can do that and lift the trophy, it means the world to me.
To reach Zverev, Alcaraz first had to beat the 22-year-old Sinner, who, with the departure of Djokovic, will become the new world No. 1 and the first Italian No. 1 on Monday.
The couple went to Court Philippe-Chatrier on Friday. It was Alcaraz’s victory in the US Open quarterfinals two years ago that ended at 2:50 a.m. after five fireworks. Another win for Alcaraz, this year’s three-time semi-finalist in Indian Wells, was a remarkable comeback for the Spaniard after winning the first set 1-6.
“The way he hits the ball is unbelievable,” Alcaraz said this week. “The way it moves is, of course, very good. He [pushes] Up to your limit in every ball, every point. I think facing Jannik was the hardest thing. At the same time, I love him. I love these types of matches. Like I did in Indian Wells, I like to find solutions to overcome it.
Alcaraz had to find a way in the crucial fifth Friday. At 6-foot-2 and majestic all over the court, Sinner arrived at the French Open nursing a hip injury that kept him out of tennis for three weeks. After suffering hand cramps and getting several visits from the trainer, some of them were early in the game for foot rubs.
“As the match goes on, the right hip doesn’t have the strength of the left hip. It’s normal at this point, isn’t it?” There is a sinner. “So sometimes I feel a little bit, especially after 2½ hours and up to four hours, but that’s no excuse. I was moving well. I felt good on the court. “
Alcaraz jumped out to a 3-0 lead and served for the match at 5-3 as the evening sun cast half the court into shadow. He fumbled a match point by sending a backhand into the net at 40-30, then got the second in the form of a 112 mph second serve but lost the point by sending a forehand.
He finally won the third match point when a Sabi Sener sent a backhand to get one step closer to joining Nadal – and former champions Andres Jimeno, Sergi Bruguera, Carlos Moya, Albert Costa, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Arantca Sánchez Vicario and Garbine Muguruza.
Alcaraz raised both arms, threw back his head and shouted, a Spanish tradition upheld for at least one match on red clay at Roland Garros.