Today’s first Roland Garros men’s semi-final has all the makings of an era-defining classic: Novak Djokovic seeks to set the stage for the record-breaking Fighting for the third Grand Slam; Carlos Alcaraz is clearly playing to cement his place as the world’s No. 1 and the next great player.
And, for a few sets, this is the game we got: blistering forehands and ridiculous shots from the talented Alcaraz; A will of steel. The pair split the first two sets with plenty of drama, at odds with their seemingly routine 6-3, 5-7 scoreline.
Although early in the third set, the wheel – which made the leg – fell for Alcaraz, he began to cramp so badly that he admitted his serve game was only to get Care of a medical coach. After some fluids and some massages, Alcaraz still had nothing to do but sit back and watch while essentially handing the third and fourth sets 6-1 and 6-1 to Djokovic. (On Sunday, Djokovic will face the winner of the other semifinal, Alexander Zverev against Kaspar Rudd.)
Noteworthy Yes, Alcaraz cramped the same way he lost to Jannik Sinner at the Miami Open at nearly the same time he was playing. With the next Wimbledon looming, hopefully Alcaraz and his team can address his physical condition — or, I suspect, his nutrition — so we can see the epic we’ve all been waiting for the match of.
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