Djokovic Wins Roland Garros Against Weak Alcaraz. On Friday at Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic beat an injured Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 to move within one win of a record-tying 23rd major title.
On Court Philippe-Chatrier, the 36-year-old Serbian came out swinging, winning the opening set with destructive and consistent groundstrokes against the 20-year-old Spaniard.
In the third set, after Alcaraz had tied the match, he experienced cramping in his right calf and had to forego his service game at 1-1 to advance to a changeover and receive treatment from an ATP physio. Djokovic regained the lead after the Spaniard, who missed this year’s Australian Open with a leg injury, could not chase after strokes and drive into the ball. After three hours and 23 minutes, the third seed eventually prevailed over Alcaraz in a thrilling fourth set.
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“First and foremost, I have to say tough luck for Carlos,” Djokovic stated in his on-court interview. The last thing you want in the latter stages of a Grand Slam is cramping and experiencing physical issues, especially at this level. I have compassion and sympathy for him. I pray for his speedy recovery and to have him back with us soon.
I let him know on the net. Even he is aware of his tender age. With so much time ahead of him, I have no doubt he will repeat as champion many times. He’s a fantastic player, a fierce competitor, and a genuinely good person; give him all the praise and encouragement you can. In 2023, the Pepperstone ATP Rankings have been a nail-biter between Alcaraz and Djokovic, who will be playing each other for the first time. If Djokovic beats either Casper Ruud or Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday, it will be his 26th win of the season, and he will regain the No. 1 ranking, passing Alcaraz in the process.
Djokovic is the second-oldest finalist in Roland Garros history (since 1925) and the defending champion, having reached his 34th major title match.
Alcaraz, sixteen years younger than Djokovic at the time, became the youngest man to reach the Roland Garros semifinals since 2007. The top seed won his first major victory at last year’s US Open, but he will not add to that total in Paris after having trouble physically keeping up with Djokovic in their semi-final match on Friday.
It isn’t easy. It’s apparent that he was torn between retiring and finishing the match the way he did, Djokovic remarked. “Congratulations to him for maintaining his will and battling to the very end. That deserves a tonne of respect.
By the end of the second set, I felt like our bodies had had enough. I felt very drained. Down to the wire, we fought it out. The match was pretty level before his cramp in the third game of the third set. However, after that point, he completely changed the match’s momentum. I tried not to let my mind wander to the action on the other side of the net and instead concentrated on the task at hand and the player in front of me. Once more, my most profound respect and I pray for his speedy recovery.
